Church documents debated (23-11-06)

Coalition, agreed that urgent action was necessary. Rev Nicholas Mukaronda of the Crisis in Zimbabwe (SA office) appealed to the churches to build bridges between themselves if they are to succeed in the fight for democracy in Zimbabwe.
Chairperson of the Africa Ministers Association, Rev Alfred Modise, said Zimbabweans should fight and uproot the dictator.
“It’s high time Zimbabwean pastors rise and be like Daniel in the bible who stood firm and defied king Nebuchadnezzar. This is what the South Africans did against the apartheid government,” he said.
Also discussed were two documents entitled The Zimbabwe we want: “Towards a National vision for Zimbabwe” and the official National Vision Document – which look so alike but are totally different in content.
One document that is being circulated has this section: “The truth must be told in order to heal wounds. Many people are hurting and are raising questions and need to know what happened their love ones. They need to know why and who performed brutal actions against their communities. We believe that as part of the healing process the nation should explore setting up a truth and Justice Commission in collaboration with the church and the civil society. Coming to terms with the truth can be painful but as a nation we have to go through it as a process towards the Zimbabwe we want”.
In the other this has been replaced by a much lighter tone that says there are some serious issues about the Gukurahundi period that the nation needs to look into.
“This shows how Robert Mugabe, who has never apologised publicly for the atrocities in Matabeleland and Midlands in mid 80s, continues to suppress the voice of the people. It also shows that whatever we are trying to achieve is just a dream if we continue to allowing Mugabe to edit the people s voice to suit his endeavours,” said one delegate who refused to be named.
Gabriel Shumba a prominent Zimbabwe’s human rights lawyer, said a silent genocide was taking place in Zimbabwe and there was need for the church and the Zimbabwean community to join hands and fight the culprit.
“The gains of the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe have been eroded by a corrupt and evil regime that shows scant respect for the human rights of its citizens. Even the socio-economic gains of the 1980s and 1990s are now a remote dream as inflation is at 1,200% (predicted to hit the 4,000 mark next year) and unemployment at 80%. About 3,000 people die every week from HIV-AIDS related illnesses and only about 42,000 of the more than half a million needing ARVs are receiving them.
“Since food is being used as a political weapon of punishment for those who do not belong to the ruling party, an estimated four million people are facing starvation. In the province of Matebeleland alone, over 200 children and five mentally challenged patients have died of malnutrition-related diseases since the beginning of this year. The life expectancy of an average woman has decreased to 34 years in recent years. Therefore there is need for the church and the community as a whole to stand up and claim the Zimbabwe they want,” said Shumba.
The National Vision Document urges the government of Zimbabwe to initiate a process in parliament to repeal or amend POSA and AIPPA in order to create an environment that is conducive to free dialogue and public debate on all issues of concern in order to bring about healing and reconciliation as well as a rapid national economic recovery. – Magugu Nyathi