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be held by July 31.
Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe, Trevor Manhanga, said Zimbabweans should embrace the ruling.
“The church, together with all right thinking Zimbabweans, should embrace and uphold the recent ruling by the Supreme Court setting the date by which harmonised elections shall be held. We have heard so much about the rule of law over the years. Now it is the time for all of us to walk the talk.
There can be no better time than this for us to practise what we preach,” he said.
Bishop Manhanga said those who talk about the judiciary staying out of politics were practising “selective amnesia”.
“They did not raise any alarm bells when in 2000 the US Supreme Court stepped in to settle the election dispute between then presidential contestants George W Bush and Al Gore. Even though they cried foul as he won the popular vote, the judiciary stepped in, in the interest of the nation and its people, and ruled in favour of Bush and that was that.
“The same thing has happened in Zimbabwe. The judiciary correctly and professionally stepped in to end an unending saga which was hampering the well-being of nation Zimbabwe and its people. That must be applauded and we would all do well to abide by the ruling of our Supreme Court which is more binding than any Sadc resolution,” he said.
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He said this is a test case of national sovereignty and all Zimbabweans should defend their God-given right to decide what is best for them using their own structures,” he said.
Bishop Clement Karikoga Chisango said the nation should go for elections as there were no reasons for further delays considering that a new Constitution was now in place.
“We are not supposed to waste anymore time. All political leaders are aware that we are supposed to go for elections. These delays in holdings elections are dividing the nation. There is also lack of cohesion in the inclusive Government,” said Bishop Chisango of Ebenezer Holy Church.
Other churches said there was need to balance the legal position and the political environment and urged compromise between parties in the inclusive Government if the country is to hold indisputable polls.
Said Dr Goodwills Shana of Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe: “We cannot contest the ruling of the Constitutional Court but it does not seem to create an enabling environment to put things on the ground on firm footing. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is battling to put things in place. What we want is a credible election which is not disputed. As the church, we also want a conducive environment for people to participate. We do not want a repeat of 2008.”
Dr Shana said there was a need to balance the legal position and the electoral environment.
Father Frederick Chiromba of the Catholic Bishops Conference echoed the same sentiments saying there was a need to pay attention to the political process and the legal requirements that need to be fulfilled before the holding of national elections.
“The church is calling for credible, free and fair elections. The time frame should allow for the processes to be fulfilled so that the election is credible. If the timeframe compromises credibility of elections that may create problems,” he said.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter