A general strike called by Zimbabwe’s opposition to pressure authorities into releasing delayed presidential election results faltered on Tuesday.
Fears of a fierce government crackdown and the desperate need of many Zimbabweans to make enough money to subsist in the face of a collapsing economy seemed to have discouraged strong participation.
Banks, shops and offices in central Harare were open as many workers ignored the call for an indefinite stoppage by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Soldiers and police fanned out across Zimbabwe early in the day. Army trucks, some equipped with water cannon, moved through opposition strongholds around the capital and riot police and other officers set up checkpoints.
Security eased significantly later as the strike call appeared to fizzle.
The MDC has declared victory in the March 29 presidential election and demanded that President Robert Mugabe step down to make way for its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.
It accuses Mugabe’s Zanu-PF of delaying the announcement of the presidential results to buy time to organise a violent response to his biggest setback since coming to power in 1980.
Official results show Zanu-PF lost control of Parliament on March 29. Independent monitors say Tsvangirai also beat the 84-year-old leader in the presidential vote but did not win the absolute majority needed to avoid a second round run-off.
Many companies opened in Harare’s main industrial district.
”We are open here because we don’t want to attract attention to ourselves. Some workers have come and others have not,” said one shop-floor supervisor at a tobacco processing firm, who declined to be named.
‘Strikes don’t work’
”I think there is general consensus that strikes don’t work, the government just ignores you and managers get into trouble,” he said.
The MDC accuses Mugabe of delaying the presidential result so he can rig the election and organise a violent response to ensure victory in a run-off against Tsvangirai.
Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission said it was still counting and verifying the presidential votes despite announcing the parliamentary result four days after the election.
On Monday, a Zimbabwean High Court rejected a legal application by the MDC to force out the result.
Tsvangirai said in an interview with South Africa’s e.tv, to be aired on Tuesday night, that the decision was a ”collaborated effort” to frustrate the will of Zimbabweans.
The MDC leader, who has described himself as a prime target for Mugabe’s security forces, said his party would not appeal against the verdict because it would further delay results.
But further delays are expected because of other legal moves and a recount in 23 constituencies ordered for next Saturday. The MDC is challenging that decision.
A lawyer, who asked not to be named, said the legal cases would take another week and the result could emerge after that.
The threat of a tough security response has undermined previous calls for protests.
Police beat dozens of MDC members and supporters, including Tsvangirai, during an aborted 2007 anti-government protest. A general strike last year to protest against low wages and living conditions also collapsed.
Police did not seem too concerned with possible trouble on Tuesday.
In Harare’s Highfield, Glen View and Glen Norah townships, where police have previously stamped out opposition protests, there were few patrols.
Most businesses were open in the town of Chitungwiza, 30km south of Harare. There was no sign of heavy police deployment on roads or in its working-class townships, where most shops opened.
But many public transport operators appeared to have kept buses off the roads. Long queues formed in Chitungwiza as workers tried to get to work. Early morning traffic was light.
Factories in the southern industrial district of Harare on the route to Chitungwiza were open.
”We employ ourselves here, any day’s work we lose hits our pockets,” said Patrick Daka, who runs a brick-making venture along with four others.
Zimbabweans are facing inflation of more than 100 000%, unemployment of 80% and rising poverty and malnutrition. There are chronic shortages of food and fuel throughout the country.
Southern African leaders said after a summit in Lusaka at the weekend that the presidential results should be released ”expeditiously”. — Reuters