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Police deny churches in Bulawayo clearance to hold a prayer procession
Zimbabwe Christian Alliance
May 16, 2006

BULAWAYO – Church leaders in Bulawayo are seriously concerned that police in the city have made an about turn in granting them clearance to hold a prayer procession on Saturday May 20 to remember victims of last year’s Operation Murambatsvina.

As Church leaders in Bulawayo we view this as an infringement of our freedom of worship. If police are to ban church services, which are exempt under the Public Order and Security Act, such a development will have serious implications on the Church’s right to carry out its God given mandate. Such action serves to clearly demonstrate the desperate position of the regime.

The prayer procession scheduled for Saturday morning from St Patrick’s Church in Makokoba to Brethren in Christ Church in the centre city, is part of nationwide activities being coordinated by Zimbabwe Christian Alliance to stand in solidarity with the poor. A similar big event will be held in Chitungwiza on Saturday.

The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance is organizing these prayer events not for political gain or mere publicity but because it has a Biblical mandate to stand in solidarity with the poor.

Churches in Bulawayo sheltered over 2 000 families at the height Murambatsvina and have continued to provide food assistance as well as medical help and payment of school fees for displaced children.

What has frightened the police is that thousands of Bulawayo residents are intending to take parting the procession.

The procession starts from Makokoba - the oldest and one of the suburbs worst affected by Murambatsvina. Police estimate that 15 000 people will turn out for the procession and claim they do not have enough manpower to control such a huge crowd.

Since yesterday, junior police officers have been calling individual clerics to interrogate and intimidate them to cancel procession. But this morning, Tuesday, about 30 senior security officers in Bulawayo who are members of the Joint Operations Command - that is composed of the police, army and Central Intelligence Organisation – summoned the leadership of Churches in Bulawayo to a two- hour interrogation session.

Soon after the interrogation a letter withdrawing clearance for the procession was issued. Clearance had initially been granted on Friday last week.

An urgent meeting of senior church leaders will be held tomorrow morning to decide on the way forward.

The police in Bulawayo have withdrawn clearance for a planned prayer procession by Churches in Bulawayo to remember victims of last year’s Operation Murambatsvina.

For more information contact Zimbabwe Christian Alliance coordinator Useni Sibanda on +263-91 218 651 or
+263-11 881 316

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