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November 20, 2008

Zimbabwe Christians vow prayer vigils until crisis ends

by Ecumenical News International

HARARE — Zimbabwean Christians have vowed to press on with weekly prayer vigils “until something happens” after efforts at forming a unity government to resolve the country’s economic and political crisis faltered.

About 300 worshippers, some of them carrying giant placards, gathered during the time of Sunday services on Nov. 16 in a parking lot adjacent to the venue of failed talks to end tensions between long-ruling Robert Mugabe and his political rivals Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara.

“People are dying because our hospitals, social and physical infrastructure are collapsing,” said Elliot Mandaza, a spokesperson for the church groups told journalists.

“We are monitoring the situation. If there is progress we will gather again to give thanks. If there is no progress we will gather and continue to pray and petition political our leaders,” Mandaza said.

One of the placards urging an end to the stalemate in talks between the country’s three main political parties said, “Break The Impasse.” Another lamenting the collapsed health sector, read, “We ask to Live Not Die” while another, advocating unity, stated, “One Nation Under God.” Other placards demanded restoration of the inflation-ravaged economy and Zimbabweans’ dignity.

The prayers followed the failure of leaders from the 12 nations making up the Southern African Development Community to agree at a Nov. 10 meeting on a way of overcoming an impasse in implementing a power-sharing agreement for Zimbabwe, brokered in September by the then South African president Thabo Mbeki.

“There are bones everywhere,” said Pastor Never Muparutsa, leading the Christians from various denominations through a prayer for the restoration of the country’s once-vibrant economy. All major state hospitals have been shut down for lack of staff while pharmacies are empty.

“There are bones in our economy. There are bones in our health services sector,” said Muparutsa.

Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change party has said it will not join the proposed government with Mugabe and Mutambara, the leader of an MDC faction. It is insisting first on a constitutional amendment to provide for the newly-created post of prime minister to be assumed by Tsvangirai.

Coordinator of the prayer vigil Bishop Tudor Bismark of the New Life Covenant Church said, “We are praying for restoration of our economy and our dignity and we are appealing to God to intervene in our situation and restore Zimbabwe to its former status."