Déjà vu
Now that Zimbabwe's churches have expressed their concern over the deteriorating situation in their country, our diarist asks is their statement actually the glimmer of hope Zimbabwe needs.
Zimbabwe is fast descending into the abyss that I feared it would. With the limbo that followed the 29 March elections and the subsequent loss of the ruling party's majority in parliament, I knew there'd be trouble ahead.
Experience has taught me that the ruling party never takes a loss lying down. There's a long history of violent retaliation whenever its power is threatened.
So I feared the worst after the March elections. It was with a strong sense of déjà vu that I heard of the violence and torture that is happening – gangs travelling in 4x4 Isuzus (the government's vehicle of choice), torture camps reopening, and random beatings by uniformed police.
Closer to home
One day, not long after the elections, I became worried when my house help did not return after visiting relatives in Glen View. She arrived the next morning, unharmed, but she'd witnessed serious beatings in her hometown and hadn't wanted to travel back after dark.
She said that uniformed soldiers had descended at a drinking place and beaten everyone up. Their crime, they were told, was voting for the opposition and not showing appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who had rescued this country from the British.
The following week, my nephew came to visit from Gweru, Zimbabwe's third town. He said he had been beaten by masked soldiers.
His crime, they said, was to dare to vote for the opposition and go out after dark – a right, he was informed, he would never have had if ZANU PF had not waged war against the British.
I put him in touch with Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights so that they could examine him and write a medical affidavit for him.
When things do change, such medical evidence will become powerful tools for seeking justice and forgiveness.
In my rural hometown, which voted overwhelmingly for the opposition, my relatives informed me that war veterans and youths have set up 'reorientation' camps where election agents are beaten, forced to chant ruling party slogans, take the oath of allegiance and made to swear to never vote the opposition again.
My heart bleeds for my people when I hear all these stories.
A glimmer of hope?
But this morning there was a glimmer of hope as the main church bodies finally issued a statement in which they warned of the impending danger of Zimbabwe descending into an abyss.
Their silence had been deafening up to now. I hope that they will back up this statement by reaching out in practical ways to those who have been displaced, need shelter, food and a word of comfort. For that is surely the role of the church, responding to the cry of the oppressed.
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