Zimbabwe Churches Gear Up for Elections

By Ethan Cole, Christian Post Reporter Friday, March 28, 2008

Churches in Zimbabwe are mobilizing Christians to turn out to vote Saturday for the highly anticipated presidential election that could overthrow President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled the nation with an iron fist for nearly three decades.

The church effort is in response to reported violent intimidation tactics meant to keep voters from the polls or pressuring them to support a particular candidate.

"We are empowering the people, the congregations and communities to vote without fear," explained Useni Sibanda, national coordinator of the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA), according to U.K.-based Tearfund. The ZCA is a partner organization of Tearfund.

"All we have tirelessly campaigned for is for free and fair elections. The action we are taking is in respect for the principles of democracy."

Sibanda added that the church campaign is not meant to promote specific candidates but to inform people that they have a right to vote.

"Churches are standing up for them and standing with them," the Christian coordinator stated.

Some 900 churches are working together to encourage Zimbabwe's Christians to go out and vote through a multi-lingual voter campaign. This is the first time in Zimbabwe that the electorates in minority areas are able to receive voter election awareness materials in their mother tongue.

Approximately 75 percent of Zimbabwe's population is Christian.

Voters on Saturday will head to the polls for simultaneous presidential, parliamentary, senate and council elections.

President Mugabe, 84, will face an uphill battle to retain power after most blame him for the country's economic meltdown that includes an unemployment rate of about 80 percent and inflation at more than 100,000 percent. He is seeking a sixth consecutive term as president of Zimbabwe.

The incumbent president faces two strong opponents – his former finance minister Simba Makoni and main opposition party leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The MDC recently said it found evidence that Mugabe intends to rig the elections in his favor. The party on Sunday said it discovered that Zimbabwe's electorate commission had printed 9 million ballots when there was only an electorate of 5.7 million registered votes, according to CNN.

Moreover, the commission requested 600,000 postal paper ballots for soldiers and police officers when there are only a total of 50,000 in the country.

"Remember, when they stole this election away from us the last time, they stole it with 350,000 votes," said Tendai Biti, the MDC's secretary-general, according to CNN. "Six-hundred thousand is double insurance."

The United States has also warned of possible unfair election that could include extra ballots for soldiers and police, intimidation of opponents and absence of independent observers.

"It comes as no surprise that this weekend's elections are likely to be neither free nor fair," commented Peter Grant, Tearfund's international director, in a statement. "Mugabe has demonstrated time and time again, often ruthlessly, that he doesn't respect democracy.

"And equally it doesn't surprise us that it's the churches stepping up to ensure a voice for the oppressed and the marginalized," Grant added. "Tearfund honors their conviction and courage and that's why we stand with them in support."

The ZCA will monitor voting at some 900 ballot location across Zimbabwe's 10 provinces.