Kondwani Munthali -Malawi

As the night draws closer, the Zimbabwe electoral commission has so far announced 19 seats each for Zanu PF and MDC Parliamentary race. Its nor really a horse race. Someone asked me what is my take on the ZEC position. Only one explanation makes sense. Preparing for transition or condition Zimbabweans for a change? But definately this time it will be a night of long knives for Zimbabwe as tommorrow delays will not get the patience. People have already the results from all the polling centres and the know them. The official outcome hopefully will confirm what wards, constituencies and senate command centres have compiled. Pray for continued peace

9 more constituencies announced in and shared evenly by Zanu PF and MDC. Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa lost to an MDC candidate in Makoni central. He is the first casualty in President Robert Mugabe's ruling politburo to be declared that he has lost. so far 24 announced and the two parties have 12 each.

So far only six seats have been declared and shared evenly between MDC and Zanu PF. The MDC has won one in a Zanu PF strong hold of the results declared so far. The ZEC announced the results at 6am on Monday and more are to follow later. Though by 10 am, nothing had followed. Peace and calm remains.

24 hours after elections have closed, I sit in the media room of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to browse and play around with the internet. I have been in this room for more than six hours and so many intervals waiting as to when the ZEC will start announcing the elections results from the March 29 polls. Actually, I came in the morning only to be told that the MDC has started claiming victory for the election. Someone actually phoned me at my hotel and gave me the run down of the figures. ZEC Chief Elections Officer addressed a media conference at 10am to call for calm and asked stakeholders not to release the results. But wait a minute these results are already out in many polling centres as once they finish counting and verification they post them on their walls. I have seen them and how MDC has faired in Harare. Highfield East where President Robert Mugabe voted at Mhofu primary school has already full resilts and its only 5km from the National command centre. The ZEC says it d...

I arrived in Harare after experiencing Air Zhing Zhong, a term coined by Zimbabweans on anything Chinese. They consider it cheap an undurable. As a good passenger I kindly reported at Kamuzu International Airport around 5.30pm for My Harare Air Zimbabwe flight of 7.30pm. I was with Shulton, my good freind for years and Mwamadi the old colleague of mine. I chose to go to Tilipano, 5 kilometres away from the airport for chicken wings and a few bottles. I was back by 6.50 and went ahead to proceed with formalities. I bought some gin and brandy at duty free shop and went ahead into departure lounge. There my good freind Penelope Paliani Kamanga was waiting for the same flight- we were both excited to go into Harare to cover elections. Air Zhing Zhong, a name a got from Zimbabwe delayed for a short time, 5 hours, accoriding to regular travellers to Harare. I had rice with Chambo and we only left Malawi aroudn midnight. The driver who had come to pick us up at 8.30pm at Harare Airport, actua...

I am in Zimbabwe covering the March 29, harmonised elections. I will start blogging on my experiences soon, but I rely more on readers comments of the developments in Zimbabwe. I ahev attended rallies for President Robert Mugabe and Opposition Leader Morgan Tsvangirai. I had short stint with Dr. Simba Makoni anothe rcandidate. So far no violence has been reported and all rallie have been peacful.

I am one proud Malawian who loves living in the country, broke no broke, happy no happiness, there is something about Malawi you cannot find anywhere else. Apart from gossip, everyone is freindly and willing to tell you a story to be happy. Neighbours and distant relatives call each other brothers and sisters. On Friday, 29th of February, I woke up to a lot of terrible events. My sisters brother in marraige had been shot dead in South Africa and My car had been smashed by some people currently on rampage for car stereos and batteries. Later in the week, I went to Dzaleka refugee camp where the Police had decided to intervene on behalf of other Somali's and other Somali's personal fight. On Friday, my sister reported that a guard had his head cut off and the other is missing in Area 4, which is right at the heart of the Capital. Today, people at Chilinde Parish woke up a grusome sightt, two people murdered in cold blood and one with head cut. The pictures of the sight are chilli...

It has been sometim since I last visited this space. You know seperating ones identity in a new job from professional is quite difficult. Having joined the Nation newspaper www.nationmw.net I had to keep my itch to comment on matters in the country while pursuing the same as story lines. Of course during probation one can learn to keep out of controversy. But as a writer, good am back and hopefully on daily basis especially in the evenings. I would like to do a 2009 path to elections that can afford people access this important process and unpadate from myself. So malawielections09 would be coming soon on this blog. Having said that, there is a lot to be commented upon from the political platform to the national tragedy that will be a replica of 2001, where after selling all the maize, we started importing again. But today, let me stick to the simple matter of an agreement signed between Kenyan Government and Opposition ODM. The process in Kenya has been keenly watched by African in p...