Church resume peace talks between Zanu PF and MDC

Church in Zimbabwe unites to promote peace between Zanu PF and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) for the upcoming next year parliamentary elections.

On Tuesday 2nd March, South African and Zimbabwean church leaders pledged to play more active role in trying to defuse tensions between Zimbabwe’s political leaders, by encouraging talks between the ruling Zanu PF and the main opposite MDC.

Fr Richard Menatsi, secretary general of the Southern African Catholic Bishops acknowledged current efforts to get both parties back to the negotiating table, saying: "We are particularly concerned about the plight of ordinary Zimbabweans, and we will pool our resources together to assist those who are in need. But we also realize that unless the political crisis is resolved, much of our efforts will, in the long term, be ineffective.”

Trevor Manhanga, the head of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe told IRIN: "There has been some progress since our meeting. Both sides have presented us with some of their concerns and now we can work towards finding common ground." According to Manhanga, the government had raised concerns over a court challenge to Mugabe's presidential victory in 2002 and the perceived British influence over the MDC. The opposition had called for electoral reform and the scrapping of legislation that undermined a free and fair poll.

Since talks between President Robert Mugabe's government and the MDC broke down in April 2002, there have been several attempts by the diplomatic community and the church to re-start them. Richard Menatsi said “We hope to assist those who are already working towards a solution to the Zimbabwean crisis, so there is no intention, at the moment, to repeat much of the efforts that are already underway."

Menatsi said the current concern of the churches was the ongoing political instability as the country started preparing for parliamentary elections in 2005. Menatsi warned: "It is clear that the upcoming parliamentary elections will not be free and fair as long as the situation is unstable. It doesn't matter who wins the election, because everybody loses in an unstable environment."

Last month the South African Council of Churches (SACC) wrote an urgent letter to South African President Thabo Mbeki, requesting that a delegation be sent to Harare to help resuscitate talks with the MDC.