Even more blatantly, a candidate who was heavily defeated at the election, Obert Mpofu, has been appointed by Mr Mugabe as governor of Matabeleland North province.

ECONOMIST: Zimbabwe

On June 18th Obert Mpofu, Zimbabwe's powerful and wealthy minister of mines, told a meeting of his country's chamber of commerce that he had got a letter from the Kimberley Process demanding Mr Maguwu's immediate release if Zimbabwe were to be allowed to resume diamond trading.

ECONOMIST: Zimbabwe's diamonds