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/ 13 May 2008

SARB: Inflation outlook deteriorates

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said on Tuesday inflation was expected to rise, but that it remained committed to bringing the gauge within target range ”over a reasonable time horizon”. The targeted CPIX consumer inflation gauge has persisted above the top end of a 3% to 6% range since April 2007, and accelerated to a new five-year high of 10,1% year-on-year in March.

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/ 13 May 2008

UN: Zim violence could reach ‘crisis levels’

Levels of post-election violence in Zimbabwe are escalating and could reach crisis proportions, the United Nations senior representative in the country said on Tuesday. ”These incidents of violence are occurring in communal farming and urban areas and there are indications that the level of violence is escalating,” Agustino Zacarias said.

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/ 12 May 2008

Zim rejects Western poll observers

Zimbabwe will not invite election observers from Western countries to monitor a presidential run-off unless they remove sanctions, state media said on Monday. Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said Zimbabwe would not bow to pressure to invite election monitors from Western countries and the United Nations.

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/ 12 May 2008

Mbeki ‘ignored judges’ on Zim’s 2002 poll

President Thabo Mbeki’s role as a mediator in the Zimbabwean crisis took another knock after disclosures that he ignored the advice of two judges he commissioned to observe that country’s 2002 general elections. Mbeki commissioned judges Sisi Khampepe and Dikgang Moseneke to observe the controversial Zimbabwean election in 2002.

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/ 11 May 2008

Tsvangirai set for Mugabe showdown

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader looked set on Sunday to return home from South Africa to face Robert Mugabe in a presidential run-off poll despite a risk of "more violence, more gloom, more betrayal". Morgan Tsvangirai had previously refused to say whether he would take part in the run-off, even though failure to do so would have handed victory to Mugabe.

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/ 10 May 2008

MDC to contest run-off against Mugabe

The leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition group said on Saturday he would contest a run-off against Robert Mugabe after disputed elections on March 29. But Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he would only participate in the run-off if international observers and media had full access to ensure the poll is free and fair.

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/ 9 May 2008

Dramatic rise in Zim violence, say doctors

Levels of organised violence and torture have escalated dramatically in the last fortnight in Zimbabwe amid mounting tensions over the country’s disputed elections, a coalition of doctors said on Friday. ”Since the last report on April 25, our members have reported a dramatic escalation in incidents of organised violence,” the coalition said.

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/ 9 May 2008

Mbeki in Zim to discuss disputed poll

Regional mediator and South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Zimbabwe on Friday for talks on the country’s disputed elections ahead of a possible run-off that has raised concerns of further violence. The South African leader’s ”quiet diplomacy” approach towards the crisis in Zimbabwe has triggered criticism at home and abroad.

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/ 9 May 2008

Zimbabwe opposition rejects presidential run-off

Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will not participate in a presidential run-off against Robert Mugabe, a top party official said on Thursday, after reports of escalating violence deepened a post-election crisis. The MDC believes its leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the outright majority in the March 29 election.

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/ 9 May 2008

Mbeki will fly to Zimbabwe in mediation bid

President Thabo Mbeki is expected to fly to Zimbabwe on Friday amid growing pressure on Robert Mugabe not to continue delaying a second round of the presidential election after he lost the first vote. The head of Zimbabwe’s election commission said this week that it might postpone the run-off by up to a year, effectively extending Mugabe’s rule.

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/ 8 May 2008

Pressure mounts on Zim amid violence

Pressure mounted on the Zimbabwe government on Thursday to admit foreign observers to oversee a presidential election run-off amid fresh claims that pro-government militias were instilling terror in communities in the countryside. Meanwhile, there was still no word on when a second round should take place.

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/ 7 May 2008

Zim parties challenge results

Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change have contested half the results of the March 29 parliamentary election, state media said on Wednesday, extending a stalemate that has triggered widespread violence.

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/ 5 May 2008

Zim opposition in election run-off debate

Zimbabwe’s opposition on Monday mulled whether to contest a presidential election run-off after winning the first round as President Robert Mugabe’s camp began gearing up for the ballot. "We are still putting things together and when we are ready, we will get the press informed," George Sibotshiwe, a spokesperson for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, said.

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/ 5 May 2008

Zim run-off vote may face year delay

Zimbabwe’s ruling party has said that a second round of presidential elections could be delayed by up to a year in a move that would extend Robert Mugabe’s rule even though he admits to having lost the first round of voting five weeks ago. The election commission is expected to meet soon to set a date for the run-off vote between Mugabe and the opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai.

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/ 4 May 2008

MDC divided over boycott of poll re-run

After a day of top level meetings, Zimbabwe’s main opposition party on Saturday failed to make a decision on whether it will take part in presidential run-off elections scheduled for next month. Observers now fear that there is a fierce dispute within the Movement for Democratic Change over whether to boycott the second round of voting that was announced on Friday.

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/ 3 May 2008

Mugabe to contest Zimbabwe run-off

Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe accepted that the opposition’s Morgan Tsvangirai won more votes in the presidential election and will contest a run-off in a political battle that has raised fears of bloodshed. Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) cried foul after Zimbabwe’s electoral body announced on Friday that he had won 47,9% of the vote

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/ 2 May 2008

Zim announces election run-off

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader defeated President Robert Mugabe in the presidential election but faces a run-off vote after he failed to win an outright majority, the electoral body said on Friday. Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai won 47,9% of the vote on March 29 and Mugabe took 43,2%, said the chief elections officer.

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/ 2 May 2008

MDC rejects presidential vote tally

Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said on Friday it would reject results of a presidential election that would force a run-off against veteran ruler Robert Mugabe. Official data showed the MDC’s Morgan Tsvangirai won 47,9% of the vote, beating Mugabe with 43,2%, but not enough to escape a second round contest with Mugabe.

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/ 2 May 2008

Zimbabwe opposition disputes electoral figure

Zimbabwe’s opposition on Friday disputed results of a March 29 presidential election released by electoral officials, saying opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had the outright majority needed to avoid a run-off. The official data showed Tsvangirai had 47,9% of the vote, beating President Robert Mugabe with 43,2%, but short of the majority needed to avoid a run-off ballot.

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/ 2 May 2008

US urges Mugabe to ‘call off his dogs’

The United States on Thursday urged Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to "call off his dogs" who are allegedly attacking opposition supporters and to release the presidential election results. State Department deputy spokesperson Tom Casey questioned how credible the results of the March 29 election could be when they have yet to be released.

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/ 1 May 2008

Zim begins checks of presidential votes

Officials began verifying the results from Zimbabwe’s March 29 presidential election on Thursday, bringing a step closer the release of the long delayed vote count, the electoral commission said. Senior government sources say opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has beaten President Robert Mugabe but not by an outright majority.