The church leaders' call comes as Zimbabwe security agents have set up roadblocks along main roads leading into major towns, where they are stopping vehicles and searching for weapons. Zanu-PF already has 136 of the 183 seats announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) so far.
ZEC is expected to announce the results for the final 27 seats later on Saturday, but the majority are expected to go to Zanu-PF. However, the MDC-T has rejected the results and the party’s highest decision making body outside congress, the national council, will meet on Saturday to find a way forward.
The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations, comprising leaders of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, The Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe appealed for calm and called on all parties to accept the results.
"We urge all political parties and stakeholders who feel aggrieved by any challenge or issue to act in a restrained manner that will allow for dialogue, due process and the preservation of peace and stability in Zimbabwe,” the church leaders said.
"We call on political parties and their leaders to act in a manner consistent with the peace we have experienced so far and, notwithstanding any election challenges, to do everything in their power to honour their pre-election pledges to abide by election outcomes.
"Where there are legitimate and substantiated irregularities and anomalies, we urge concerned parties to resolve these through peaceful dialogue, law abiding and in an orderly manner. We urge the nation to remain united in prayer, faith and hope and to maintain a spirit of restraint, tolerance and harmony."
The church leaders said they are willing to mediate to help solve the impasse of the election results. They pointed to a number of anomalies in the electoral process, but said the actual voting process and administration was conducted well. They also raised concern over the inaccessibility and verification of the voters’ roll and challenges experienced during the special voting process.
Church leaders also said there were voting day irregularities relating to names of registered voters not found, people with voting slips who did not appear on the voters roll, reports of significant numbers of fake voting slips and voters names appearing in constituencies they do not reside in. "We urge the ZEC to respond to and take the necessary steps and recommendations to address and resolve these issues," the church leaders said.