News / Religion
Zim churches meet Mugabe about peace
17 Apr 2013 at 07:21hrs | Views
The Ecumenical Peace Observation Initiative has met President Robert Mugabe and encouraged the Zimbabwean leader to put into action his peace campaign messages, relzim.org reports.
President Robert Mugabe, the leader of Zanu PF, whose party stands accused of perpetrating violence has since the formation of the coalition government four years ago been calling for peaceful political campaigns.
The coalition government with MDC was formed after a violent presidential runoff election in 2008.
In an effort to amplify the anti-political violence voice ahead of the country's watershed elections scheduled for later this year, various church bodies recently formed an organization, Ecumenical Peace Observation Initiative, that will unite them and speak loudly on the dangers of political violence.
In an exclusive interview this week, the organisation's Director Peter Tendai Maregere said that last week they sought an audience with President Robert Mugabe whom they briefed on the initiative's goals.
"We were very happy to be afforded the time to talk to President Robert Mugabe at the State House. He was equally happy about the initiative because it is going to assist government in preaching peace among the communities. Government, as you know, is on a daily basis encouraging peace even if people fail to agree on a certain issue," he said.
Maregere said they have lined up meetings with leaders of the two MDC formations about the same issue.
"We are going to meet Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC, Professor Welshman Ncube's MDC, Professor Arthur Mutambara and all other political parties throughout the country preaching the same gospel of peace in our country."
The Ecumenical Peace Observation Initiative in Zimbabwe (EPOIZ) is a joint programme of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe.
President Robert Mugabe, the leader of Zanu PF, whose party stands accused of perpetrating violence has since the formation of the coalition government four years ago been calling for peaceful political campaigns.
The coalition government with MDC was formed after a violent presidential runoff election in 2008.
In an effort to amplify the anti-political violence voice ahead of the country's watershed elections scheduled for later this year, various church bodies recently formed an organization, Ecumenical Peace Observation Initiative, that will unite them and speak loudly on the dangers of political violence.
"We were very happy to be afforded the time to talk to President Robert Mugabe at the State House. He was equally happy about the initiative because it is going to assist government in preaching peace among the communities. Government, as you know, is on a daily basis encouraging peace even if people fail to agree on a certain issue," he said.
Maregere said they have lined up meetings with leaders of the two MDC formations about the same issue.
"We are going to meet Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC, Professor Welshman Ncube's MDC, Professor Arthur Mutambara and all other political parties throughout the country preaching the same gospel of peace in our country."
The Ecumenical Peace Observation Initiative in Zimbabwe (EPOIZ) is a joint programme of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe.
Source - relzim.org
