Zim Churches Warn Of Blood shed

A representative of Christian Alliance, a coalition of many church organisations in the country, Reverend Useni Sibanda, said it feared a repeat of the violence witnessed during the June 2008 elections.

“Only the Copac draft constitution should be taken to referendum because if the Zanu PF draft also goes for referendum this will trigger serious violence around the country,” Sibanda told journalists in Bulawayo on Wednesday.

“We don’t want blood to be spilled like what happened in June 2008. We can foresee brutality against those who don’t support Zanu (PF), the party will use all means to force Zimbabweans to accept its draft.”

Sibanda added that Christian Alliance had started campaigning for a “Yes” vote for the Copac draft constitution.

Despite putting their signature to a draft constitution agreed to by negotiators from all three parties in Copac, the Zanu (PF) politburo has come out with its own draft to clarify what Justice Minister and Zanu (PF) negotiator, Patrick Chinamasa, described as ‘grey areas’.

Last week Zipra war veterans’ association also blasted Zanu (PF) saying the party was committing a serious constitutional fraud by rejecting the Copac draft constitution, which the party negotiators signed.

The Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed on September 15, 2008, commits President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) and the two MDC factions led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Industry Minister Welshman Ncube to a new constitution that will pave way for a free and fair election.

The two MDC factions endorsed the draft, but Zanu (PF)’s politburo sat on four occasions during which it amended the draft before handing out copies to its rivals last week.