Churches call for peace meetings

Peter Matika, Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Christian Alliance has called for an immediate all stakeholders’ meeting to address divisions among citizens to ensure the country pulls in one direction.

The divisions manifested in violent demonstrations that rocked the country a fortnight ago resulting in shops being destroyed and looted while a number of people have been arrested derailing efforts to grow the economy.

ZCA will be working hand-in-glove with the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, as well as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, in an endeavour to forge and promote peace and unity among kinsmen. In a statement, ZCA said it supported the call for an all-stakeholder’s national dialogue process.

“The dialogue process must start at regional and community levels and build up to the national engagement. The dialogue process must address the economic and social grievances of the ordinary Zimbabweans that led to the call for a stay away.

“It is against this background that we call for the provincial multi stakeholder dialogues that will bring up issues that affect people at local level to the national dialogue process. We believe that this will ensure that the national dialogue process is centred on the needs of the ordinary people instead of a political elite power sharing arrangement, which will not address the root causes of the unrest,” read the statement.

It was stated that the NPRC, as the constitutionally mandated body (to ensure post-conflict justice, peace, healing and reconciliation) should speedily co-ordinate the process to ensure that political parties are held to account to all the agreements that will be done.

“We call upon Sadc, the African Union (AU) and the international community to support Zimbabweans in this difficult time,” said ZCA.

The church-based organisation said it was also concerned about reports of human rights abuses received from across the country.

“The church organisation condemned the violence that resulted in lootings of shops and said citizens, although they have a right to demonstrate must do so peacefully.

“We condemn the looting of shops and destruction of properties that took place during the demonstrations. We also call upon the police and other security agencies not to respond in heavy handed manner when dealing with public demonstrations as this may also inflame the situation.”

@peterkmatika