Zim Churches target 1 million signatures on petition against national pledge

As showdown looms between the parents and the government over the national pledged being imposed on students and pupils at schools, churches in Zimbabwe are reportedly targeting over 1 million signatures of parents on the petition to be sent to government to stop enforcing the pledge on their children.

Sources said the church is collecting 1 million signatures to petition the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to stop effecting the pledge come schools opening for Term 2 on 3 May 2016.

"Critical issues have been raised by the coalition of churches in Zimbabwe including adulteration of conscience, disrespect of the constitution on matters of faith,alleged attempt to relegate the Lord' s prayer and from, a political perspective,the absence of acknowledgement of Gukurahundi genocide victims,among other things contestable such as the apparent disregard of stakeholder consultations critical to this discourse,the church and the parents," said the source.

The source said the church is reliably reaching out to as far afield as in intending to getting a court interdict against the state over the issue and mobilising parents to absent their children when schools open to avoid alleged indoctrination.

"Who is paternal over the souls of the nation, the state or the church?" said the source.