Bishops urge Mugabe to implement MOU pledges

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Catholic bishops have urged Robert Mugabe to implement pledges made July 21 to halt violence, release political prisoners, end “hate speech,” lift the ban on NGOs providing aid, and allow free access to the media.

In a long statement focusing on events since Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangarai signed the Memorandum of Understanding which led to talks to try to solve the political crisis, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference avoided mentioned Mugabe by name – except to note that he, Tsvangarai and Arthur Mutambara signed the document July 21.

But the statement underlined the failure of Mugabe and his cohorts, still attempting to cling to power, to make good on the pledges that only they can fulfil.

The bishops noted, for example, that each of the three Principals who signed the document promised a statement condemning the use of violence and pledged to ensure “that the structures and institutions it controls are not engaged in the perpetuation of violence.”

“As far as we know, not all institutions of violence have been dismantled. Some acts of political violence are still being committed,” the bishops said. “… members of some parties are still in detention and some being harassed for supporting some political parties. This needs to stop immediately.”

On allowing displaced people home – another commitment Mugabe has failed to fulfil – the bishops said it was still difficult or impossible in some areas for the Church to help those driven from their homes.

“Hate speech on the radio, television and in newspapers is still to be abandoned,” the bishops added. And in a clear reference to Mugabe, they said: “We urge the Principals, especially the one who controls state institutions and para-state institutions to act immediately in accordance with the agreement of the MOU.”

Mugabe has reneged on almost every pledge he made when signing the MOU. Harassment of the MDC continues, including crude, undiplomatic actions such as confiscating the passports of the MDC leaders when they were leaving to attend last weekend’s SADC meeting in Johannesburg. The passports were handed back after South Africa intervened.

Meanwhile, Mugabe’s continuing refusal promise to lift immediately and unconditionally the bans on NGOs distributing food and other aid – as he promised – is causing untold suffering, and building up towards a catastrophe that international organisations fear will leave nearly half the population facing starvation by January.

In their statement, the bishops said that, given the deep divisions and wounds that Zimbabweans have suffered, they believed that negotiations should aim for a “transitional arrangement” rather than a government of national unity.

“They (the negotiators) should agree on a transitional arrangement, which in 18 months or so, will lead to the construction of a new Constitution which will then be the basis for fresh elections that are free and fair,” they said.

In outspoken criticism of the Mugabe regime, the bishops described Zimbabwe as a “deeply divided, unequal society where those in power work to protect their privileges by privatising national state institutions and processes.”

“We have seen the judges, magistrates, the police, the army and other security forces take more and more party political positions at the expense of the security and freedom of citizens,” they added.

“With the deepening of the political crisis, we have seen the growth of hate language in the media and at political gatherings, culminating in intimidation, sexual abuse, rape, violence and gruesome killings of citizens.”