Reply #18: Zimbabwe election: Robert Mugabe's 'Operation Red Finger' causes terror

[livvy]

Zimbabwe election: Robert Mugabe's 'Operation Red Finger' causes terror
By a special correspondent in Zimbabwe and Louis Weston
Last updated: 12:00 AM BST 29/06/2008

For most of the last decade, the Mupedzanhamo market has been one of the few thriving enterprises in the Zimbabwe capital, Harare.

The reason for its success is simple: it sells second-hand clothes and imported bric-a-brack at knockdown prices, and as the country's economy has gone into freefall, it has acquired an ever-expanding clientele of ever-more destitute customers.

Yesterday, however, the normally bustling flea market was devoid of 250 of its vendors, thanks to the thugs sent in by the man who has done more than anyone else to keep the place in business.

The traders' crime was to be caught without a splash of indelible red ink on their fingers - the telltale sign that they had not visited the polling stations for Friday's election, and were therefore probably not loyal fans of President Robert Mugabe.

Gangs of Zanu PF militiamen sent in by Mr Mugabe on "finger inspections" promptly rounded offenders up and began terrorising them. "They raided us at 10am and conducted what they called a vetting exercise," said one vendor.

more...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/2213189/Zimbabwe-election-Robert-Mugabe's-'Operation-Red-Finger'-causes-terror.html