Zimbabwe's Roman Catholic bishops on Friday issued a statement voicing concern at the rise in political violence in the country and opposition to hastily organized elections which could send Zimbabwe back into the mayhem it experienced in 2008 balloting.
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference expressed concern at the failure by the three-party unity government to fully implement the 2008 Global Political agreement. It said this has resulted in Zimbabwe’s continued international isolation.
The Catholic bishops called on the country’s political parties to seriously engage to put the country back on track, failing which, they said, the country would continue to see political violence, intolerance, hate language and fear. The bishops added that the government has not moved the process of national healing quickly enough.
They urged the political leadership to give priority to poverty reduction, anti-corruption efforts and the prosecution of perpetrators of violence and other wrong-doers.
Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference spokesman Father Frederick Chirombo told VOA Studio 7 reporter Patience Rusere that the church is concerned that the political situation continues to deteriorate two years after the unity government's formation.
Commenting on the statement, Political analyst Musekiwa Makwanya said the bishops are right to be worried about the political direction the country is taking.
