I was disappointed when I heard that Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the presidential race in Zimbabwe. So I was surprised to receive an email update from my friend there titled "Sigh of Relief." Anyway, Tsvangirai's withdrawal may save lives in the short term, but may not in the long term, given the economic and food bankruptcy facing Zimbabwe.

Date: June 24, 2008
Subject: Sigh of Relief
Yesterday morning, most people in Zim were not shocked to hear on the news that Morgen is no longer contesting in 27 June elections. It was long overdue to hear such news. Most opposition supporters have fled their constituences were they were supposed to vote from. The good news is that UN, SADC, the observers have all backed Morgen for doing what most people wanted him to do.Today a friend of mine that I worked with a long time ago, who until today was staying in the rural areas, was forced together with his family, his father and mother and his own children, to flee their homestead because they were on the list to be tortured or I leave that to your imagination. His mother was unlucky, she was caught. He said most people that are opposition fled their homes for fear of being caught and face music. Thus when I saw him he was going to the police to report that his mother has been abducted. This was reporting the case to his victimers as the police are part and parcel to the system. Now it`s a case of if you can't beat them, join them.

Just yesterday they were giving T-shirts of Zanu-PF [Robert Mugabe's party]. People just got them so that it would look like they are interested in Zanu. There are posters from the airport to the Zim Border very big one that even if you do not like you will see Mugabe with his first (now known as the first of fury), sound like some title of a kung-fu character in the movies. While other people are saying that it is ok that Morgen has stopped contesting, Zanu is saying they will be going on with the campaigning and that the elections will go on with or without the opposition as well as the election observers. The big question is what next?...