Displaying items by tag: Zimbabwe

Far from seeing reform after Robert Mugabe was toppled, the country has fallen into deeper crisis as millions are ‘reduced to paupers’. Power cuts from dawn to long after dusk are causing families to cook on firewood in almost total darkness. Monthly earnings barely cover two weeks’ living expenses. With Mnangagwa things have gone from bad to worse with outlandish austerity measures causing 175% inflation. Multiple currencies replaced by another new Zimbabwe dollar, fuel subsidies cut, poor harvests, a cyclone and drought have compounded problems. The Zimbabwe Church is calling for the international community and the government to hear the cries of Zimbabwean families surviving on two meals a day and lacking life-saving medicine. UK aid agency CAFOD is asking for national dialogue, for all in authority to come together and address the current crisis as they do what they can to assist with food, clean water supplies, and seeds (70% of the population grow their own food).

According to the UN, Idai could be the southern hemisphere’s worst-ever disaster. Over 2.6 million people have been affected. Pray for all those coping with stress, grief and loss. Zimbabwe was already in a food crisis; now most crops are washed away. There will be no harvest. Pray for adequate food aid. There is a desperate need for clean drinking water, especially in the ‘difficult to reach’ areas. Cholera has been reported in Beira, still struggling to provide clean water and sanitation. WHO is dispatching 900,000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to affected areas later this week. Pray that these supplies would be enough to halt the spread. Pray also for effective distribution of rehydration salts and adequate intravenous drips. Other waterborne diseases like typhoid and malaria also pose a risk. Pray for adequate healthcare to prevent all types of disease spreading.

The UN estimates that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people were affected by Cyclone Idai; the world does not yet realise the enormity of the situation. Six days after its 106 mph winds and rain hit southern Africa, thousands are still cut off. Beira, where the storms first made landfall, was not reached for three days. Every building in the city (population 500,000) was damaged. The whole region is without power. Food, clothes and medicine are needed immediately, but flooded, damaged roads need repairing before assistance can reach them. Save the Children warned on 18 March that 100,000’s of children are at risk as rivers burst their banks. Malawi was flooded by torrential rainfall before Idai made landfall in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Whole villages were swept away in the three countries. Pray for the military and humanitarian agencies trying to gain access to thousands of stranded people. Pray for abundant donations of food, drinking water, medicine and clothing to reach victims quickly, after what is believed to be the worst ever natural disaster in the southern hemisphere.

Zimbabwe is going through an economic crisis and is battling severe fuel shortages. The government recently announced a 150% petrol price increase, igniting widespread discontent, strikes and violent demonstrations. Then, while President Mnangagwa was out of the country, seeking much-needed foreign investment, police and soldiers launched large-scale operations against suspected protesters, activists and strike organisers. At least twelve people were killed and 78 treated for gunshot injuries, according to a local human rights group which recorded over 240 incidents of assault and torture and 700 arrests. People were hunted down in their homes by security forces and severely beaten, with arrests continuing after Mnangagwa had returned. He said, ‘Violence or misconduct by our security forces is unacceptable and a betrayal of the new Zimbabwe.’ Accused of conducting a deadly crackdown on dissent, the army and police denied any wrongdoing, saying some assailants raiding homes were wearing official uniforms to pose as security personnel.

The opposition party has rejected President Emmerson Mnangagwa's historic presidential election win after a poll marred by deadly violence and allegations of vote-rigging. On 2 August, Mnangagwa was declared the winner of the first election since the toppling of veteran leader Robert Mugabe, with a 6-point lead over Nelson Chamisa, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mnangagwa won 50.8 percent of the vote, the election commission said, and Chamisa 44%. The president tweeted, ‘Though we may have been divided at the polls, we are united in our dreams. This is a new beginning. Let us join hands in peace, unity, and love, and together build a new Zimbabwe for all!’ The chances of this happening appear slim, as the MDC has rejected the result as ‘fake’ and says it will challenge it in the courts. Six people have already died in clashes between protesters and the security forces which are patrolling the streets of Harare.

The country’s leaders of different denominations say Zimbabwe is between a crisis and a kairos opportunity. They are calling for prayer for, peace, respect for human dignity, a transitional government of national unity, and national dialogue. Their statement said, ‘The nation’s challenge is one of a loss of trust in the legitimacy of national processes. There is a strong sense that the hard-earned constitution is not being taken seriously. The wheels of democracy have become stuck in the mud of personalised politics where the generality of the citizenry plays an insignificant role, but we see the current arrangement as an opportunity for the birth of a new nation.’ The World Council of Churches is asking churches around the world to pray for Zimbabwe to embrace change and move forward without vengeance.

On the 22nd November, when President Mugabe resigned, celebrations on the streets resembled scenes inside a stadium after a soccer world cup victory. Like many Sub Saharan Africa countries, Zimbabwe’s population is young, 60% of the population is under 25 and 70% have known no other president. His successor Mr Mnangagwa, when minister for national security, was notorious for overseeing the the brutal 1983 campaign against supporters of Mugabe rival Joshua Nkomo. It became known as ‘Matabeleland massacres’. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Ndebele people died during the civil conflict, which involved the Zimbabwean Fifth Brigade, equipped and trained by North Korea. Mnangagwa is rumoured to have amassed a sizeable fortune, been involved in developing Harare diamond trading and was targeted by US sanctions early 2000, for undermining democratic development in Zimbabwe.  He was also investigated by the UN for exploitation of mineral resources in Congo. Pray that his succession is not a continuation of the corrupt status quo.

Vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa had been expected to succeed his lifelong political partner, Robert Mugabe, but he was sacked, supposedly so that Mugabe’s wife could succeed him instead. On 10 November Mnangagwa threatened to lead a popular revolt to remove Mugabe from leadership of the ZANU-PF. Three days later General Chiwenga, Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, said he was prepared to ‘step in’ to end the ‘elimination’ of Mnangagwa followers. On 15 November explosions were heard in the night, soldiers seized the ZBC broadcasting station, and military vehicles appeared on the streets. This dramatic outcome of an internal party squabble could turn into a political takeover; opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has returned to Zimbabwe, while Mugabe and his family are under house arrest. At the time of writing Mugabe's biggest rivals and other ministers are gathering in Harare as concerns grow for the country. Zimbabwe needs change. Inflation rises by 50% a month, and imported food is scarce. See also

The Archdiocese of Harare issued a statement after the armed forces had taken over. The general secretary of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Rev Kenneth Mtata, called on politicians and social leaders to rebuild a broken society. ‘The current situation was inevitable. We had reached a point of no return. Our politics of attrition and toxic public engagement have had their logical conclusion.’ His statement echoed one made earlier by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Council of Churches in which they described the country’s politics as ‘poisonous,’ and accused Mugabe of stifling political dissent. Mtata said, ‘Our hope is that we can put the train back on the rails of democracy and citizenship engagement.’ The fragmented society is a result of failures to deal with the hurts of the past, and the political system not allowing everyone to have an opportunity.

Last year’s maize crop failure is still proving debilitating: it takes more than a season to fully recover from the ravages of drought. Although the rains arrived on cue in November last year to plant this season’s crops, many farmers had either been forced to eat their seed, or had no harvest from the previous year to eat. Their livestock herds were decimated and the lack of jobs meant families also had no money to purchase their farming inputs, let alone food. Barnabas Fund has provided seed, fertiliser and training so that farmers could plant on time. Hope has returned, but the crisis still simmers and the outcome of the harvest will be critical. A new strain of stalk-borer insect attacking the maize is also a threat. How can farmers survive until the April/May harvest? Barnabas is working closely with local churches to ensure that they are not forgotten or left hungry during this crucial period. Violet, a farmer and mother of five, is appreciative: ‘We want to thank God for providing us with food for our family - our lives have changed. We have seen God’s hand through our brothers.’