First it takes actually finding out the official results of the March 29 presidential election: The opposition party Movement for Democratic Change says their man, Morgan Tsvangirai (pronounced chang-guh-rye), got enough votes to beat Robert Mugabe outright without a runoff. But the Zimbabwean government won't release the official tallies, so today the courts are hearing the MDC's case to push release of the poll results.

From Agence France-Presse:

"A lawyer for Tsvangirai's MDC, which has won control of parliament in simultaneous legislative elections, argued before the high court on Sunday that the outcome was already known.

'The results of the presidential poll were actually posted at polling stations at ward level,' Alec Muchadehama told the court. 'After the poll was held on March 29, results were actually available on March 30.'

The electoral commission's lawyer however argued that the case was beyond the court's remit and Justice Tendai Uchena announced at the end of the hearing that a judgement would be made on Monday at 10:00 am (0800 GMT)."

Meanwhile, AFP says Mugabe's goons are getting rough with the populace:

"Meanwhile the war veterans, hardline Mugabe supporters who led the sometimes violent farm invasions at the start of the decade, tried to move onto several of the few remaining white-owned farms but most were later repelled by police.

While the election aftermath has so far been largely peaceful, the farm invasions served as a reminder of the violence which followed Mugabe's last electoral reverse when he lost a referendum on presidential powers in 2000.

Mugabe, whose party has accused the MDC of planning to reverse the farm takeovers, called for Zimbabweans to protect their land from whites."

Tsvangirai -- come on, say it five times fast -- penned an editorial in today's Guardian:

"...How can global leaders espouse the values of democracy, yet when they are being challenged fail to open their mouths? Why is it that a supposed "war on terror" ignores the very real terror of broken minds and mangled bodies that lie along the trail left by Mugabe?

This is a time for strong action. We urge the International Monetary Fund, at its meeting this week, to withhold the £1bn of aid to Zimbabwe unless the defeated ex-president accepts the election results in full and hands over the reins of power. This is also the time for firm diplomacy. Major powers here, such as South Africa, the US and Britain, must act to remove the white-knuckle grip of Mugabe's suicidal reign and oblige him and his minions to retire.

We have assured Mugabe that the new government will not pursue him legally through government offices. The work ahead is monumental and we need no further self-made distractions. Recrimination is not on the new government's job list. Our agenda is to restore the rule of law and good governance; to face up to our dire health problems, including an HIV-Aids epidemic; to reconstruct our once cutting-edge education system; to bring our abundant farmlands back into health; to tackle rampant inflation and over 70% unemployment; to encourage foreign investment and public works spending; to depoliticise our security services; to stamp out corruption and graft. Every day the new government is denied, these problems each get worse..."

I'll second that: It's only going to get worse. No one expects Mugabe to go without a fight.

(Mugabe photo: Zimbabwean government)