Northern Ireland Pastor persists in Zimbabwe Mission under Persecution

For two years, Northern Ireland clergyman Rev Noel Scott, has been troubled about the Zimbabwe magistrates' charge on him. Magistrates threw out the summons over a year ago as "defective" and "out of the blue". Mr Scott has now received a new summons and will stand trial on renewed charges of breaching Zimbabwe's controversial security law.

The retired Anglican priest, Rev Scott was arrested and briefly imprisoned with three other church leaders for praying on the pavement on their way to a prayer meeting for peace two years ago in the run-up to a presidential election. He has been a missionary in Bulawayo for more than 30 years. Now, he could be jailed for two years for breaching the Public Order and Security Act.

David Coltart, a lawyer and Member of Parliament for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said the pastors and church members had been charged under the draconian new security laws with "disobeying the command of a police officer".

According to a letter to the Church of Ireland Dean of St Patrick's in Dublin, Mr Scott said he has made seven or eight appearances in court since he was first arrested.

"Thousands of people are on remand and the magistrates keep on postponing their cases. It's a reflection on the general lawlessness here and is a form of intimidation,"he said.

Mr Scott was ordained in 1960 for the assistant curacy of Ballymacarrett in the Diocese of Down. He is so dedicated to the country that he refuses to leave the community he has given his life to help even though sanctuary has been offered by the Church of Ireland.

Despite being retired and the crisis of imprisonment, the shortage of clergy means he is "not short of work," he told Dean Mac-Carthy.

"I'm also very involved with Christians Together for Justice and Peace of which I'm a founder member with Archbishop Pius and others and we do what we can within the limits imposed."