Bishops: Zim needs intervention
11/04/2008 21:58  - (SA)  

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Pretoria - Anglican Church Bishops from nine countries in Southern Africa have urged regional leaders to put pressure on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to accept the results of the election in his country.

The Bishops said the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting in Zambia on Saturday should "prevail upon" Mugabe the need to abide by the results of the March 29 election.

In a statement on Friday, the Bishops from Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, who met in Pretoria, said they had noted "with sadness" the delay in the announcement of the results of the Zimbabwe presidential election.

"We are concerned that this situation has given rise to rumour and uncertainty which are bound to fuel despondency, tension and social upheaval," the church leaders said.

They called on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release the results of the elections without any further delay.

They also wanted the African Union (AU) and United Nations to dispatch a peace envoy and mediator to Harare to facilitate the impasse.

Their call followed that of church leaders of the Apostolic Faith Mission on Thursday who appealed to the SA government and international community to act to stop "needless bloodshed" in Zimbabwe.

The church said it was time for a large scale diplomatic offensive by SA and other international players.

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