South African churches have been forced to halt their relief work in Zimbabwe despite the thousands that still remain homeless after the government’s demolition and eviction campaign in late May.

|PIC1|The 6,000 blankets and 37 tons of food raised by the South African Council of Churches (SACC) for the victims of “Operation Murambatsvina” in Zimbabwe remained stuck at Beitbridge for several weeks as Harare customs authorities demanded duty for the goods, according to the Zimbabwe newspaper Zim News Online.

The report noted, however, that there is no duty charge for aid supplies according to Zimbabwean laws.

Moreover, because Zimbabwe and several other south African governments prohibit genetically modified food due to safety concerns, the Zimbabwean government refused to accept food aid into the country unless the food was proven to be organic, the report continued.

Therefore, even though the government eventually agreed to waive duty charges after heavy lobbying by Zimbabwean non-governmental organisations (NGO), many food resources still could not be imported to Zimbabwe. The delivery was delayed for several weeks until the South African Department of Agriculture issued a certificate, according to Zim News Online.

"The paperwork and all the procedures at the border were strenuous. In a meeting last week, we agreed that it was better to focus on Zimbabwean refugees who are based here because they are also living in dire straits," SACC provincial organising secretary Reverend Gift Moerane told Zim News on Tuesday.

SACC’s relief initiative in Zimbabwe for the victims of the government’s “clean-up drive” was first launched in late July with the name "Operation Hope for Zimbabwe", after the pastoral visit of SACC leadership to Zimbabwe. The delegation was led by Methodist Bishop Ivan Abrahams, Chair of the South African Church Leaders Forum.

|QUOTE|According to a released statement by the SACC, during the meeting with the church leaders in Zimbabwe, the SACC delegation strongly condemned the “Operation Murambatsvina” campaign. The campaign, which was initiated by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, was described by the government as a “cleanup drive” in overcrowded, crime-ridden slums. The term “Murambatsvina” itself translates to “drive out trash.”

In the statement, the SACC delegation also expressed their concern for and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe, urging the Zimbabwe president and churches to offer care to the vulnerable.

SACC’s "Operation Hope for Zimbabwe" is designed to provide immediate relief, in the form of blankets, food, water and medicine, particularly to the most vulnerable sectors of the society. It also explores ways of providing shelter for the homeless. In collaboration with the other international agencies, such as the World Food Program, UNICEF and UN-HABITAT, SACC aims to promote long-term development in Zimbabwe.

"The SACC Central Committee has also called for continuing prayers for the people of Zimbabwe and the resolution of the political crisis there," the SACC statement read.

|TOP|According to a United Nations envoy, approximately 700,000 people have been affected by the “cleanup drive” and "out of the 700,000 the U.N. was talking about, between 300,000 and 400,000 have been displaced to rural areas,” Pastor Ray Motsi, chairman of the Combined Churches of Bulawayo, told BBC last week.

Other church leaders, however, also said it was not possible to get an accurate number of the number of people forcibly displaced to the rural areas, since they were widely dispersed, according to BBC News.

Meanwhile, Pastor Albert Chatido – the logistical coordinator of church aid efforts in Bulawayo – told the BBC that demolitions were continuing.







Eunice Or
Christian Today Correspondent