Reformed Church Leader: Zimbabweans Pleading for Hope

By Michelle A. Vu, Christian Post Reporter Sunday, April 20, 2008

Zimbabwe Christians are requesting for prayers so that they can hold onto hope as the information blackout in their country enters a third week.

Since the March 29 elections, no official information has been released regarding the presidential contest despite heavy internal and international pressure for the results to be announced.

"Please pray for our leaders to put people first and not their self-interest," said an unidentified Zimbabwean minister to the general secretary of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, the Rev. Dr. M. P. Dibeela.

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The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) released a letter by Dibeela on Friday relating the situation of Zimbabwe.

"We would also be glad if you could pray for us to not lose hope, because if we lose hope then we are finished," the Zimbabwean leader added.

The opposition party in Zimbabwe, world leaders, and human rights groups have raised concerns that the delayed results may be the work of President Robert Mugabe and the ruling ZANU-PF party to buy time to rig the election results in their favor.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe ever since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1980. Under Mugabe, the once so-called breadbasket of Africa has spiraled into an economic meltdown with the inflation rate over 100,000 percent and the unemployment rate over 80 percent.

An estimated 3.5 million Zimbabweans have fled to neighboring South Africa and other countries to escape the hunger and to earn money to send back to family members still living in Zimbabwe.

"The people of Zimbabwe have been suffering," noted Setri Nyomi, the general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, in a statement.

"It is our prayer that Zimbabweans would be able to celebrate future independence days devoid of the political and economic hardships they are undergoing," he said in reference to Zimbabwe's 28th Independence Day on Friday.

The Reformed Church head also commented how "mind boggling" it was that the results have not been released after three weeks.

"This is a miscarriage of justice," Nyomi stated. "Let us join our sisters and brothers in Zimbabwe in praying towards and working for justice to be done."

On Saturday, Zimbabwe began partial recount of votes from the March 29 elections despite protest from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the opposition party, according to Reuters. The recount could overturn the results of the parliamentary election, which had shown the ZANU-PF losing the majority for the first time.

Moreover, recount of the parallel presidential vote is also taking place even though results were never released.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai – whose party declared him the winner based on results posted outside polling stations – said the recount is illegal and that the MDC would not accept the results.

"We reject the process. We reject the outcome of this flawed process," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Reuters. "As far as the MDC is concerned, the first results stand. Anything else will be an illegitimate process."

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said the recount process is expected to be completed in three days.