I think Mugabe is nearing his fate…the one that will take him to his end. Buying votes with gifts such as tractors is what politicians do in India too but then India is world’s most largest and the so=called most successful democracy. However, the case in hand is a dooming nation that awaits its death sitting on its ruin. I think people of Zimbabwe will act wisely this time and strangle to death the dying carrier of the man who’s roasting his last meal over the corpse of millions of Zimbabweans.

Certainly not. Even if Mugabe’s reign ends, the nation will see more Mugabes in the coming years. Not because of some Robert, but because people have already made a choice – a wrong one. And this is what we call democracy. Isn’t it? And it’s not that people don’t want change in Zimbabwe. The fact is, they’re too week to know how to get it.

Unlike PAT i am not a racist to say that Mugabe chased away white farmers but surely a big blunder for the sake of ruling for another decade. I think that's only half the story though. leaving the nation at the mercy of unskilled farmers and most of whom belonged the the Mugabe blood line or his millatary allies. this sorta resembles how the Spanish in 15th century chased away all the Muslim and Jewish merchants who were skilled at what they were doing and helped Spanish business thrive. Will Mugabe let it go after 28 years of oppressive rule...is a twisted tale but Zimbabwe has reached polls that asks for blood to remove Mugabe once and for all.

It's not a racial issue. It *is* racist to assume that the failure had to do with Black rule. Nelson Mandela is Black. This is Mugabe's failure and his government's failure. It is not the failure of Zimbabwe's Black citizens.

What better fate in Zimbabwe are we waiting if Mugabe remains its highest leader? He only wants to be the president and yet his governance has never shown progress in the country.

Threats of having coup if Mugabe will lose are a desperate announcement. Probably, the incumbent president is at the end of the rope and soon he needs to step down and live a private life.

Give chance to others. Your stint is no longer effective so better get down and take a graceful rest.

well, I am doubtful about Mugabe’s end. there is only one principle in Zimbabwe: Power flows from the barrel of the gun and Mugabe undoubtedly has got the gun and the tight trigger finger. this is a far speculation as of now because a person who is ruling for more than five decade will quit so easily is difficult to digest. but surely this is the time for the ants to unite against the suppression. As far as the election results are concerned, everything is speculation before the things come in the clear light of the day. one thing is for sure, ppl in Zimbabwe disparately need change but unfortunately their will hardly matters in a nation that is governed by a despotic ruler. so let’s wait and watch what Mugabe does next, but hope and pray for the things not to go against the verdict of Populace.

It would be difficult for Mugabe this time than the earlier elections. However, this does not mean that he has lost the ability to rig elections. There had been mass scare disenfranchisement of the homeless in Zimbabwe, the very people who are against the Mugabe regime for untold woes.

In my opinion Mugabe will continue to have his iron grip over the country and rule in the same ruthless manner that it had been in the past. The only silver lining is that he is over 80 now and he doesn't have many years of quality life remaining. It would be interesting to see how the security chiefs react should he indeed lose the elections, which is very unlikely.

Yes...But only hopefully yes. I mean it is difficult to say whether the power wielding Mugabe’s thugs won’t tilt the results in his favor. A regime change is highly desirable, almost mandatory.

Hopefully this time the opposition led by his very own finance minister will mount serious opposition and manage to oust his terrible self.

Coup seems a distant probability and hopefully people’s mandate will sort things out once and for all.

There, I used hopefully as many times as possible. If only the nation was to be so.

@ Maynard, when did you last hear of an autocrat giving way to others and taking a ”graceful rest”? If it were so they wouldn’t be autocrats in the first place.

Mugabe has treated Zimbabwe as his fiefdom for nearly 3 decades now where he brutalized, suppressed and persecuted his own people systematically. For nearly a decade now white Zimbabweans were targeted by him. As a result Zimbabwe has turned to be what it is now - a volatile country in an endless spiral towards misery.

There is going to be a time when the majority of Zimbabweans who support Mugabe and whom Mugabe is using as his terrorising tools will understand what a tyrant they had been supporting and because of whom their own future is jeopardised.

Maybe yesterday's poll has sealed his fate. There are now unofficial claims that Tsvangirai's MDC has won the elections. The government and the election commission's warnings may suggest that Mugabe's days are over.

There is no doubt in my mind that Mugabe will continue to rule Zimbabwe come what may. The elections will most certainly be rigged and the situation will be worse than before with possible widespread violence that will give Mugabe to further brutalise the people.

We must understand that Mugabe, who is now 84 years old, himself cannot hold on to power the way he has been for so long if not for the support he enjoys from the security chiefs and every level of the government machinery.

It will be very difficult for the Mugabe regime to rig the polls this time when it is under so much international scrutiny. Having said that you never know what may happen next in an unstable country like Zimbabwe. It is very much possible that should Mugabe find power slipping away from his hands declare the elections null and void citing fantastic reasons for the decision.

dictators use elections to validate their grip on power.... the world might remember that saddam hussein got 100% of the votes in the election that was held just before the war started. before that after the first gulf war he got around 97-98%....... i don't remember exact figure.

but did u see after his statute was pulled down in firdaus square how people reacted? they hit the statue with shoes and spat at it..... so sometimes victory in even elections doesn't mean that the leader has won when he is a bloody murdering dictator..... win or lose mugabe will be still president.

Mugabe will win the elections Insha'Allah! Leaders who are against the Americans and British must win to maintain world balance. People like Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Valdimir Putin, Hu Jintao and Kim Jong Il are needed for world peace. If they are not there then America will conquer the world by force with help of Britain.

The opposition against Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF is stronger and more widespread than what is perceived about it in the world especially the West. If it was so easy for Mugabe to stifle opposition then MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai who is his main threat would have been eliminated long back.

He was persecuted, prosecuted and even tortured. Still he is able to run his party that is increasingly finding support not only from the Zimbawean intelligentsia but from the common black Zimbabwean.

I am sure that there would be attempts to rig the elections should the trend shows that Mugabe is in a position of disadvantage. The thing to look out for is whether he will actually be able to comprehensively do so to maintain his hold on Zimbabwe.

I would also like to point out to the rest of the world that ZANU-PF has a lot of support too. It is perfectly capable of beating MDC even if there is no rigging. I for one would not be surprised if it wins.

Morgan Tsvangirai has already won. The government in Zimbabwe is just not allowing it to declare victory. I think Zimbabwe stands on the verge of history now. Mugabe should now have the sanity to relinquish office because if he does not do it now then the hell may break loose for him.

He may strike a deal with the MDC and the rest of the world that he is willing to quit should be be allowed a peaceful retirement with immunity from prosecution for the crimes against humanity he had committed during his rule much like Augusto Pinochet of Chile.

We will have to wait and see.It is obvious that he will do all in his power to thwart free and fair elections.It fairly depends upon the local power mongers, who sem to be in favour of Robert Mugabe.

YES!! Definitely yes. And if this doesn’t happen then maybe Zimbabwe doesn’t really need any elections.