So... the sham election came and went in Zimbabwe, and with state repression at its highest in some time, Mugabe, the sole candidate.... won. Imagine that. They did a quick swearing-in on Friday during which he and his ministers gloated over their "triumph," an "election" which just about everyone else in the world called a fraud, with the sole exception perhaps of that constructive-engage-ionist Mbeki.

How bad was it? Let's just say it made Florida 2000 look like a model election.

Forecast? Mugabe will continue to terrorize the opposition. And South Africa will continue to thwart any meaningful international reaction.... until Mbeki is replaced/removed/told to "go home, you've done enough harm, sir."