So, I was saying about Robert Mugabe's crass manipulations of the system? Oh yes — that he is transparent in his willingness to use them. Mugabe has awarded civil servants an enormous pay hike on the eve of the elections. Very subtle.
In the meantime, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has called for more polling stations in Harare and Bulawayo, where there are far too few to handle the anticipated demand. It should come as no surprise that Mugabe would want to keep the polling stations to a minimum in the cities, where his support is weakest and where his opponents can marshal the most voters and channel popular discontent, because doing so naturally favors rural voters, where Mugabe polls strongest. Again, the man is not big on acting discreetly.
What I look forward to most grimly is when Mugabe accuses the opposition of intimidating voters. That will be when we know that this election has crossed the other side of the looking glass.