/ 22 April 2008

Zim churches warn of post-poll ‘genocide’

Post-election violence in Zimbabwe could reach genocidal proportions without intervention from the international community, the country’s church leaders warned on Tuesday.

”We warn the world that if nothing is done to help the people of Zimbabwe from their predicament, we shall soon be witnessing genocide similar to that experienced in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and other hot spots in Africa and elsewhere,” leaders of all denominations said in a joint statement.

”We appeal to the Southern African Development Community [SADC], the African Union and the United Nations to work towards arresting the deteriorating political and security situation in Zimbabwe,” the statement said.

A recount of ballots is under way in Zimbabwe in the wake of the March 29 parliamentary and presidential elections, amid allegations that long-time leader Robert Mugabe (84) is trying to steal the outcome and cling to power.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says 10 of its members have so far been killed by pro-Mugabe militias — a claim strongly disputed by the ruling Zanu-PF party.

”Organised violence perpetrated against individuals, families and communities who are accused of campaigning or voting for the ‘wrong’ political party … has been unleashed throughout the country,” the church statement said.

”People are being abducted, tortured, humiliated by being asked to repeat slogans of the political party they are alleged not to support, ordered to attend mass meetings where they are told they voted for the ‘wrong’ candidate.”

The statement, which was signed by the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, called for voter intimidation to stop.

It also said there was ”widespread famine” in Zimbabwe’s countryside, that basic goods were unavailable or too expensive and that there were no medicines to treat people injured in the post-election violence.

Arms shipment

Meanwhile, a Chinese ship loaded with a controversial cargo of arms intended for Zimbabwe is headed to the Angolan capital, Luanda, the agent handling the ship told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday.

”According to the documentation, the next calling port is Angola. This vessel is causing a lot of attention. The information is very sensitive,” said Wang Kun Hui, representative of the Cosren shipping agency in Durban.

Asked where exactly in Angola the ship was headed to, Wang replied: ”Luanda.”

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is a long-time ally of Mugabe, who is fighting to stay in power.

The ship, the An Yue Jiang, is believed to be carrying assault rifle ammunition, mortar rounds and rocket-propelled grenades, according to official ship documents published in a South African newspaper last week.

The ship was forced to abandon plans to offload in Durban last week after activists won a court case that prevented it from getting permission to transport the load overland to the Zimbabwe border.

Were the weapons to be offloaded in Angola, they would then most likely have to be flown into landlocked Zimbabwe as the countries’ common neighbour, Zambia, is strongly opposed to the arms reaching Harare.

”I am glad that South Africa has refused them … and I hope that will be the case” with all other countries, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa was quoted as saying by state media on Tuesday.

Denied bail

Dozens of Zimbabwe opposition activists arrested a week ago over a strike to force the release of last month’s presidential elections were denied bail on Tuesday by a Harare court.

Magistrate Olivia Mariga remanded about 30 people, including freelance journalist Frank Chikowore, in custody to May 5, saying their detention would deter potential offenders.

”After careful consideration of submissions by both the state and the defence, I came to the conclusion that the accused are not suitable candidates for bail,” the judge said.

”The situation in the country is very volatile. As much as I appreciate the notion of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, it’s necessary that those who are brought to court on public-violence charges be kept in custody as a warning to would-be offenders.”

The group was brought before Harare Magistrate’s Court to face public-violence charges in connection with a general strike last week called by the MDC over the delay by the electoral body in releasing the presidential results.

Prosecutors say they were behind a series of violent incidents during the strike on Tuesday of last week, including the burning of commuter buses.

As the first group of defendants was being led into the holding cells four more opposition activists were brought to the court on similar charges. — Sapa-AFP