The South African Council of Churches (SACC) once again refused to endorse the presidency of Robert Mugabe and, days after the implementation of a new government, also called for the prosecution of perpetrators of human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
 
Speaking in Johannesburg, SACC secretary general Eddie Makoe, who also said he was not confident on the power sharing deal as long as opposition members were getting arrested, said the perpetrators should not be let off the hook on the grounds that the parties had entered into a deal.

“The unity government ceases to be effective as long as political and opposition activists remain detained and are still being arrested. There is no way we can celebrate a unity deal when the political field is not level and one party has allocated itself more posts than the deal stated. We also call on the Zimbabwe government to immediately release activists that are detained,” he said.

Makoe added: “We want all of the activists who are held by an illegitimate government to be released immediately and that the perpetrators, mainly the defence forces and police as well as youth militia should not by any means be let off the hook because of the deal.”

“People must always be held responsible for their deeds and therefore they should not be allowed to get away with it. If those institutions that are meant to protect the people have become their enemies, then we are in a desperate situation. We still hold on to the view that despite the unity arrangement, Mugabe is still the illegitimate leader of Zimbabwe.”

A Zimbabwean-born pastor, Wilson Mugabe, who fled political persecution in his country to seek sanctuary in South Africa echoed Makoe’s sentiments.

Arrest

“The arrest of MDC treasurer, Roy Bennett shows that the unity government is only there in principle and shows that the situation in Zimbabwe is still not conducive to allow for the reconstruction of the country,” he said.

“I am skeptical of the arrangement. The arrests and detentions are a sign that the Mugabe regime is still the same illegitimate administration that has reduced its citizens to vagabonds.”

The sentiments follow the arrest of MDC treasurer and deputy minister designate, Bennett and continued detentions of political activists arrested in recent months for what critics say are trumped-up charges. There was hope they would be released after the opposition last week joined a government of national unity with the ruling ZANU (PF).  

The church community and the Zimbabwean government have not been in good books in recent years after such leaders as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and beleaguered Archbishop Pius Ncube spoke out against the political and social crisis in Zimbabwe.