So far, all the recounts that I’m aware of being completed have resulted in no change - a few votes either way, but not enough to affect the outcome. That’s Zaka West, Gutu East, West & Central (all MDC) and Goromonzi West (Zanu-PF). Notable, though, was a speech given at the Gutu recounts by the losing Zanu-PF senate candidate, General Vitalis Zvinavashe, reported by New Zimbabwe:

“There is no need to fight over these results. We must accept the reality that we have lost these elections to the MDC. What is important is to live together in peace, both losers and winners. We do not want violence in this area. We are relatives.

“Most of us lost these elections not because we are not popular in our constituencies. We lost these harmonised elections because of one man. People rejected us because we were campaigning for Mugabe. People in Masvingo have rejected him and we became collateral damage. There is no reason to fight with the MDC over this election. The real problem is that man not us.”

If that’s accurate reporting, then change certainly seems to be in the air. I wonder if what we’re seeing, with this and the Herald’s piece yesterday, is a more level-headed faction within Zanu-PF beginning to reclaim the high ground. We’ll see over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, ZEC have apparently announced that the Presidential results will be announced this weekend. Only 4 weeks late, then - but earlier than some were expecting.