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Churches raise doubts on fair Zimbabwe poll
Sphiwe Mboyane and Asha Speckman, Business Day
July 14, 2004

http://allafrica.com/stories/200407140519.html

Johannesburg - The South African Council of Churches (SACC) added its voice to growing disquiet about human rights abuses in Zimbabwe yesterday, saying it was doubtful next year's general elections in that country would be free and fair.

The SACC's concern about the situation in Zimbabwe follows criticisms by two other top southern African clerics and signals the church's intention to play a bigger role in pressuring the South African government to act.

SACC spokesman Reverend Joe Mdhlela said yesterday the church was particularly perturbed by the suppression of press freedom in Zimbabwe.

He said if the current "muscling" of the opposition by the ruling Zanu (PF) continued unabated, next year's election outcome would lose credibility.

The SACC yesterday discussed a report compiled by a delegation it sent to Zimbabwe last year to study the political and economic situation in that country.

The report is said to be filled with detailed incidents of human rights abuses. The findings of the report, together with other resolutions, will be announced today.

Catholic archbishop, Cardinal Wilfred Napier and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Bishop Pius Ncube, recently hit out at SA's government and the African Union for failing to take tough action against the repressive Zimbabwean government.

Meanwhile, Mdhlela also said SA should move fast to resettle its landless people.

He said the Diepsloot crisis a week ago was symptomatic of the frustration of landless people in the country.

The church, which owns vast tracts of land, also had to relinquish ownership for this purpose, Mdhlela said.

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