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Churches plan defiance campaign against Mugabe
ZimOnline
November 18, 2006

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=485

BULAWAYO – An alliance of Zimbabwean churches says it will next week launch a four-week disobedience campaign to force President Robert Mugabe’s government to repeal draconian legislation.

The Christian Alliance, which is made up of major Christian denominations in the country and is bitterly opposed to Mugabe, said it will launch the campaign on Wednesday outside Parliament Building in Harare.

A spokesman for the Alliance, Useni Sibanda, told ZimOnline yesterday that the organisation had received backing from the two factions of the splintered main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

Sibanda said the Wednesday protest was part of the "Save Zimbabwe Campaign" which was mooted last July during which the two MDC leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, pledged to work together to oust Mugabe and the ruling ZANU PF party.

"Mutambara and Tsvangirai have confirmed that they will attend the launch of the civil disobedience campaign and most civic organisations have indicated that they will join the process outside Parliament on Wednesday afternoon," said Sibanda.

ZimOnline could not independently confirm last night whether Tsvangirai and Mutambara would be part of the campaign.

Gabriel Chaibva, who is the spokesman in the Mutambara-led faction, was evasive on the matter only saying the MDC will take part in any democratic campaign against Mugabe’s administration.

"We have been in contact with the Christian Alliance since July and our view is that we would support any democratic actions against the Mugabe regime.

"But the issue of whether President Mutambara will be there on Wednesday will be up to him himself," said Chaibva.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, William Bango said although he was aware of the Christian Alliance’s initiative, he was still to be briefed on his president’s itinerary for next week.

The Christian Alliance has been highly critical of Mugabe accusing the veteran Zimbabwean leader of serious human rights violations against political opponents.

The alliance has boycotted an initiative by another group of church leaders seeking a solution to Zimbabwe’s seven year old economic crisis. The government accuses the Alliance of backing the MDC.

"The campaign is to force the government to open up space for genuine dialogue and to repeal laws such as AIPPA (Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act) and POSA (Public Order and Security Act).

"The two laws make it difficult for anybody to talk about anything including the National Vision Document that the government says people should talk about because people have to meet to discuss that," Sibanda said.

Contacted for comment last night, Nathan Shamuyarira, the ZANU PF information chief, scoffed at the plans saying government will not fold its hands while the country is plunged into mayhem.

Shamuyarira accused the Alliance of being an extension of the MDC.

"This is the MDC coming under the guise of civic organisations. But there is nothing serious in what they are planning to do.

"The government will not allow these people to cause mayhem and if they have any serious issues they want addressed, they should bring them through the right channels for debate in Parliament," said Shamuyarira. - ZimOnline

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