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| author/source:Sunday Independent (SA) |
| published:Mon 8-Mar-2004 |
| posted on this site:Mon 8-Mar-2004 |
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| Article Type : News |
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| "We can't solve this problem alone" |
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By Christelle Terreblanche
South African religious leaders are set to become the leading voice against the escalating human rights abuses in Zimbabwe after a series of meetings and appeals from their Zimbabwean counterparts. An "in-principle agreement" this week to take on a more pro-active role has been given impetus by an unprecedented cry for help from a Zimbabwean archbishop, who asked the churches to intervene urgently in the human rights situation and not to wait for approval to send a taskteam to their strife-torn neighbour. The appeal came from the Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, who was in South Africa this week to garner support for increased pressure on Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to enter into talks with the opposition ahead of the proposed 2005 election. Ncube, who has won several international human rights awards, also wants more pressure put on the South African government to abandon quiet diplomacy and give Mugabe an ultimatum to enter into talks. "The international community must assist us to force these people," Ncube said. "There is no other way of dealing with such a dictator. There must be pressure from a whole lot of sides. We can't solve this problem alone... He needs an ultimatum. So far and not further!"
Ncube met senior clergy this week, including the Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, and Dr Molefe Tshele, the general secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC). His visit coincided with an "in principle" resolution this week by the SACC, after a first-ever high-level meeting with Zimbabwean clergy, to send a taskteam to Zimbabwe as soon as the organisation received a green light from all its counterparts. But the archbishop feared such a mandate might not be forthcoming. "People are dying now," he said. "We can't wait for protocol. It is their duty to respond urgently to the situation." Ncube warned that religious leaders in Zimbabwe were divided because Mugabe had "bought out" most of them and that the church in Zimbabwe could not play a meaningful role without help from neighbouring countries. "Mugabe gave them money and farms," Ncube said. "He even offered me a farm as part of his evil devices."
He said those clergy who were anti-Mugabe felt that they couldn't "make it alone". "We need urgent intervention from all churches, but South Africa is the closest historically," he said, adding that some Zimbabwean church leaders were bedevilling efforts to garner support. "They are trying to prevent South African churches coming in on the grounds that South Africa is playing 'Big Brother' and that they themselves know better about Zimbabwe." Tshele said his discussions with Ncube on Friday had given momentum to the earlier agreement that the SACC would help reinforce the importance of the church in resolving the Zimbabwean impasse. "I agree with him that the churches in South African and Zimbabwe should jointly become the voice against moral and human rights abuses, but that we should refrain from party political issues because it could become a divisive issue," Tshele said on Saturday. "[Ncube] made an appeal that we have influence and that we should therefore use it, but this would be subject to an [SACC] executive meeting on March 17."
In an interview, Ncube also confirmed the existence of secret terror camps in which Mugabe's regime was teaching thousands of youths to torture and kill. He feared these youth militia were already being used to control political activity ahead of next year's elections with tactics similar to that of the war veterans. Ncube said the only thing keeping the economy going was the South Africa's continued support of Mugabe's Zanu PF government. "If they cut off the electricity and transport that will be the end of the game," he said. Mugabe was dependent on South Africa and he owed millions in electricity bills, Ncube said. Ncube's visit also had a third dimension - to highlight that half his Bulawayo parish now lives in Hillbrow. Ncube said that South Africa was breaking its own laws by not giving the estimated 2 million Zimbabweans in the country refugee status and asylum. "Those people have a very rough time [in South Africa]," he said. "They can't find employment, they are badly treated and often go without accommodation and food. They have to prostitute themselves." He called the South African government's attitude "very hypocritical". "On the one hand they are supporting Mugabe... and on the other will not give refugee status to Zimbabweans."
Ncube said it was crunch time for talks as there was no possibility of holding free and fair elections next year, as Mugabe had announced. After President Thabo Mbeki's recent optimism about talks, Mugabe has again rejected the possibility of entering into talks with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Ncube said Mugabe would not give in without pressure from all sides. "He is a liar, gets up to all sorts of tricks, he will do everything he can to stay in power. He will kill, buy people out, cheat," the archbishop said. "It is absolutely urgent that South Africa help convene talks as soon as possible. It is a total fallacy to say Zimbabweans must solve their own problems." Ncube said the situation on the ground was "deteriorating very, very fast", with thousands dying every month of starvation and HIV/Aids, while last year's inflation rocketed. "It's impossible to live. Something like 80 percent of the people are living below the poverty line," Ncube said, adding that the population was also overcome by a hopelessness and a moral decline. "People are now saying that the white government was less oppressive than the black government." Ncube will hold a special service for Zimbabweans in Braamfontein today.
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