For supporters of Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC Alliance party, this was a day they had been dreading – the moment their dream of election victory was crushed.
The news was delivered by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (or ZEC) as they announced the results in dribs and drabs for the lower house of parliament.
The ruling ZANU-PF party has won two thirds of the seats and will dominate the assembly – as they have done since the country’s independence from Britain in 1980.
For members of the MDC it all felt a bit familiar.
Once again, they had lost the battle for control of parliament and there seemed little chance that Nelson Chamisa – their charismatic party leader – could claim the presidency.
On the streets of the capital Harare, we found supporters and party members who were so frustrated, they could barely get the words out.
Fightmore Mharadze told me: “I cast vote my vote and it has been stolen. We are going to have to go to war, go to war against ZANU-PF.”
The party faithful had gathered at MDC headquarters in the early morning and sung, chanted and held their hands high in a collective act of protest.
Meanwhile, officials from the electoral commission were read the results from the parliamentary contest in a stuffy meeting room in the Rainbow Hotel.
Down the hall observers from half-a-dozen foreign monitoring teams gave their verdict on Zimbabwe’s national election.
The observers had been invited by the ZANU-PF’s leader, President Emmerson Mnangagwa as part of his “guarantee” of a “free, fair and transparent election” and their verdict on the poll was mixed.
A US team said the election “fell short of what was needed,” citing ZEC’s lack of independence, the use of food, fertiliser and seed to buy votes and the ballot design which gave President Mnangagwa an inexplicably prominent position.
However, monitors from southern African states (SADC) were largely impressed, calling the poll a political watershed in the country’s history.
Protester Sweetfoy Mushonganande told me he could not believe that SADC had actually done any monitoring.
He said: “SADC tell me, what you observing, what are you observing? Where did you go? Can’t you see with your own eyes?”
Inevitably, perhaps, the riot police then the army arrived and they gradually retook the city centre by force.
The soldiers drew their weapons – and used them too. At least three protesters have been shot and killed.
The MDC’s spokesman, Nkululeko Sibanda called it a dark day in Zimbabwe’s history.
He said: “The force used today was clearly disproportionate and unjustifiable.
