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This article participates on the following special index pages:
The Zimbabwe We Want: "Towards a National Vision for Zimbabwe" - Index of articles
Zimbabwe
churches issue plan for debate to stem national crisis
Ecumenical
News International (ENI)
September 22, 2006
http://www.ecunews.org/highlights/news.shtml?2006/09
Harare - Churches
in Zimbabwe want a national debate to secure the future of the southern
African nation that is blighted by its worst economic and political
crisis since it gained independence from Britain 26 years ago.
"Our nation
is desperately in need of a physician, and that physician is none
other than us the people of Zimbabwe," Roman Catholic, Protestant
and Evangelical leaders stated in a document (http://www.africamission-mafr.org/zimbabwe.doc)
that examines the crisis and offers proposals on the way forward.
It was made available to the media on 20 September.
Prepared jointly
by the Zimbabwe
Catholic Bishops Conference, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches
and the Evangelical
Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the document is entitled "The
Zimbabwe We Want: Towards A National Vision For Zimbabwe".
The church leaders
have acknowledged their own failure to speak up on behalf of the
people during the crisis, which they say has been worsening for
the last 11 years. The period has seen a forced land reform campaign
that has undermined the state of the economy and led to hunger in
the country.
"As churches,
we confess we have failed the nation because we have not been able
to speak with one voice. We have often not been the salt and the
light that the Gospel calls us to be. We, therefore, confess our
failure and ask for God's forgiveness," they state.
The group said:
"We will therefore never tire or give up until our goal is achieved.
We are not interested in forming a political party as some are suggesting."
Zimbabwe faces
a battery of political and economic crises including high inflation
peaking at 1000 per cent in August, massive joblessness, increasing
poverty, tensions between the main political parties, and suppression
of those reporting what happens in the country.
Thousands have
left the country for neighbouring Botswana and South Africa as well
as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand
in search for jobs.
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