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Christian Alliance leads the Save Zimbabwe Campaign
Pius Wakatama
September 10, 2006

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/viewinfo.cfm?linkid=21&id=4730

FOR the first time in Zimbabwe all opposition political parties and major civil society organisations have joined together in a campaign to resolve Zimbabwe’s social, economic and political crisis.

The campaign called the Save Zimbabwe Campaign is spearheaded by the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (CA). "It has been welcomed by Zimbabweans and the international community as a significant development towards the resolution of the country’s serious crisis."

The Christian Alliance is an organised network of Christian leaders and organisations who felt called by God to be instrumental in resolving the crisis in the country peacefully and permanently so that Zimbabweans can again live in freedom, peace and prosperity. It was born as a result of pressure from Zimbabweans who had become disillusioned on issues of corruption and human rights abuses by the government, the security forces and the militias.

The CA was officially launched at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Bulawayo on 3 February, 2006. Over 200 pastors, priests and church leaders from various churches and denominations attended the colourful all day event marked by singing, praying and preaching. They came from across the country as far as Mutare and Victoria Falls.

Lawyer and Church pastor, Reverend Lucky Moyo, one of the organisers of CA said about its work, "All dialogue will be pursued following Christian principles of non-violence and ethical debate. The war ethos prevailing in Zimbabwe must be broken. We are not going to war; neither do we expect to be attacked. This is simply a platform to engage in meaningful discussion for the greater good of all Zimbabweans."

Convinced that the crisis in the country is an internal problem that can only be solved by Zimbabweans themselves through dialogue, CA decided to call a convention of all stake holders. The hope was that the convention would set the tone for internal political dialogue which would lead to a viable solution to the deepening crisis.

The convention which was held in the gardens of the Rainbow Towers Hotel, Harare was attended by over 500 invited and uninvited leaders from the church, political parties and civil society representing 26 organisations. The ruling party, Zanu PF which was invited was conspicuous by its absence. Leaders of CA chaired the meeting.

At the end of the day, after speeches, presentation of papers and group discussions leaders of all opposition parties, some of which had been locked in violent rivalry, stood together on the podium, shook hands, embraced and vowed to work together to achieve peaceful change in the country. The convention then passed a number of resolutions. The most significant resolution gave CA the mandate to form a broad alliance of all the organisations present which would map out the way forward.

A number of follow-up meetings were subsequently held which resulted in the formation of a working task-force to lead what is now popularly known as the Save Zimbabwe Campaign. A comprehensive freedom charter was also tabled and is to be discussed and ratified at the next meeting of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign stakeholders.

Alarmed by this development the government press started to publish spurious and misleading reports about the formation of a single political party. Some leaders of CA, Bishop Levee Kadenge, Reverend Ancelom Magaya, Reverend Brian Mugwidi and myself were arrested and interrogated in an effort to intimidate us. Bishop Kadenge has also received several threats to his life from unidentified people over the phone.

Speaking about the Save Zimbabwe Campaign, Reverend Patson Netha, Chairperson of Churches in Bulawayo and one of the founders of CA said: "The Christian Alliance is best placed to lead this campaign because we are non-partisan and not interested in contesting or delegating political power. Our only interest is to see that Zimbabweans can worship and praise their maker in freedom, peace and prosperity as God intended them to. We could no longer sit and watch the people suffer and go to other countries to seek better lives. We will, therefore, never tire or give up until the goal is achieved.

"We are not interested in forming one political party as some are suggesting. Actually we believe that a harmonious multi-party system is the best guarantee for freedom and sustained development. However, at present all political parties and civil society need to forget the past, sit down and work out a solution to our problems before things really get out of hand."

I asked the Convenor of CA, Bishop Kadenge about the relationship between CA and the formal church umbrella bodies, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference which recently met with President Mugabe at State House and then gave televised support to the government. The Bishop said: "We are aware that there are other initiatives seeking to solve the Zimbabwe crisis. We welcome these efforts especially if they are by fellow Christians. However, we must not be working at cross purposes or fighting each other. This would not be in the spirit of the gospel which we preach. If we are working towards the same goal of establishing peace and justice in Zimbabwe there should be a time soon when our efforts should converge for the common good."

"What we need to realise," continued Bishop Kadenge, "is that the devil is very cunning and would like to divide us. Paul said: ‘Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,’ as we read in the book of Ephesians.

"Our message to the President of Zimbabwe is that as a child of God, who professes to be a Christian, we love him. He and the ruling Zanu PF party, which he leads, should now stop treating fellow Zimbabweans, of all colours, as enemies to be destroyed. They need to confess and repent of the past before God and peacefully work together with the rest of Zimbabwe to find a solution to the country’s problems. The alternative, which is violent confrontation, is just too ghastly to even contemplate."

As one who has been a lone voice crying in the wilderness for a long time I say, amen, to Bishop Kadenge and all colleagues in CA. You are on the right track and God is on your side.

He, who has ears to hear, let him hear.

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