and agricultural equipment worth millions of US dollars. The government controlled Sunday Mail reported on 9 March 2008 that, on one day alone, President Mugabe presided over the distribution of 300 40-seater buses, 500 tractors, 20 combine harvesters, other farming machinery, 50 000 ox-drawn ploughs and thousands of other implements for peasant farming, 3000 grinding mills, 680 motorcycles and 100 000 litres of petrol. On 13 March handed over fortythree 40-seater buses to villagers in the Mashonaland West area. The giving of these “gifts” (which have been given too late to be of any use in the current agricultural season) amounts to bribery and yet the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the police have failed to take any action to stop such abuses. Again just a few weeks ahead of the elections, President Mugabe announced that teachers and public servants were going to receive very substantial increases in salaries. This can only be construed as an attempt to purchase the loyalty of these persons ahead of the election. When asked by a reporter about whether this was unfair or illegal, the ZEC chairman said, “We are the last people able to comment on issues like that because they are of a political nature, in essence.” He went on to say, “It is difficult for us to comment on what is an inducement, unless of course someone has filed a charge, and it has been sustained in the proper forum.” He said he could not say anything as his hands were tied. He pointed out that if he said the practice was wrong, he would be prejudging the matter without knowing the facts. It is regrettable that the ZEC chairperson, who has the duty to ensure the freeness and fairness of the elections, is not even prepared to indicate in broad terms what would constitute illegal vote buying. 8. Hate speech Ruling party leaders, particularly the President, are using inflammatory language during their speeches, which amounts to hate speech. For instance during his birthday speech and at rallies President Mugabe has referred to his presidential opponents as traitors and sell-outs, political witches, political prostitutes, political charlatans and the two-headed political creatures. He referred to Makoni as “worse than a political prostitute” and likened him to lice that can be easily crushed.2 9. Political campaigning and the right to protest 2 Hate speech has been a serious concomitant of the violence, and its association with violence, both during and between elections, has been a cause of concern for the Human Rights Forum. Here see Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (2007), Their Words Condemn Them: The Language of Violence, Intolerance and Despotism in Zimbabwe, May 2007, HARARE: ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM. 9