Churches blast ZANU-PF violence

The government had come under a blistering attack from the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) for instigating violence against its opponents and allowing war veterans to take the law into their own hands, the ‘Daily News’ reported on Friday.

In its latest pastoral letter to the nation, the ZCC, the country’s largest Christian organisation, said Zimbabwe had reached a critical moment in its history where the truth needed to be spoken without fear or favour. “A very frightening culture of politically motivated violence has emerged and has been part of all subsequent elections,” the council was quoted as saying in the letter. “Many people have fallen victim to this monster. We are witnessing murders, rapes, beatings and abductions.”

According to the report, the council criticised the government for condoning lawlessness on commercial farms. The council described the prevailing situation as chaotic and disorderly because the government allowed war veterans to take the law into their own hands. “The ZCC is deeply perturbed by the role given to the war veterans in resolving national issues and by the violence surrounding their activities and the perception that they are above the law. As church leaders, we are convinced that the President of Zimbabwe has the capacity to stop this violence,” the letter reportedly read. “We have heard political leaders instigating violent actions against their opponents. Death threats have been publicly made. This is unacceptable. Violence hampers development and denigrates the dignity and image of the nation.”