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Christians in Zimbabwe mobilized to rebuild nation
The Underground
August 21, 2010

http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2010/08/christians-in-zimbabwe-mobilized-to-rebuild-nation-13475

Christians in Zimbabwe are being mobilized to set the groundwork for national reconciliation and healing, even as the nation embarks on writing a new constitution.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said, "You can't have healing without the church playing a very moral role, a leading role. I think it would be a misplacement of priorities to play the church as a political organization rather than as a spiritual organization which has an important place in a country where 80 percent are Christian," CBN News said.

Zimbabwe will undergo a three-month outreach to gather input from the citizenry through a referendum on what the new constitution should contain, CBN said.

Alex Chisangco, who chairs the African Centre for Law and Justice, is among those working to mobilize Zimbabwean Christians to participate actively in the making of the new constitution. Chisango said, "This is really one of the greatest windows of opportunity," CBN said.

Government officials have met with Chisango and Jordan Sekulow, director of international operations for the American Center of the ACLJ to further discuss the constitution process, CBN said.

The drafting of a new constitution is considered a good step forward after Zimbabwe had undergone years of unrest, inflation and political upheaval, CBN said.

While the economy seems to be stabilizing, unemployment nonetheless remains at 90 percent, and while government power is currently shared by two political parties, they are often at odds and the nation continues to be divided, CBN said.

Currently a Global Political Agreement is in force which has provided a framework of constitutional reforms that are necessary so that elections slated to follow the constitutional reforms will be credible and the political situation will be stable, All Africa said.

On one end there is President Mugabe, and on the other end, Prime Minister Tsvangirai. Mugabe would like elections to be held, even before any referendum is completed, and is resisting the involvement of South African Development Community in the process, VOA said.

Tsvangirai would like elections to be held after the referendum, and only if the conditions are compliant to ensure fair and free elections, monitored by the SADC, who are the guarantors of the GPA, VOA said.

Tsvangirai considers it a positive development that South African President Jacob Zuma's report included the issue of Zimbawe's election during the SADC summit, VOA said.

Chisango said, "We are ultimately the answer. We should not be part of the problem. Neither should we just sit there as part of the victims. But we should rise above the bitterness, rise above the wounds and woundedness, and actually become the solution," CBN said.

Another Christian leader involved in the process is Shingi Munyeza, director of African Sun Limited. The owner of numerous hotel chains, Munyeza noted that if Zimbabwe focuses on its Christian majority population and galvanizes the spiritual element, the populace can be mobilized to further their own peace, CBN said.

Clean up programs

To boost the country's self image, the ACLJ has launched a nationwide campaign where local churches, aid groups and government agencies are working together to rid the streets on trash, CBN said.

The effort is being coordinated by Joshua Chiweda of Revival Ministries International, who has also been meeting with churches to encourage their participation in rebuilding the country, CBN said.

Chiweda said, "Christianity is not just people going to church but it is a way of life which must be seen and must be a reflection of their daily practices," CBN said.

Chisango said, "We believe that Zimbabwe ultimately will be a nation that will forgive," CBN said.

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