Prayer for Zimbabwe

[Roelof]

I don't know how much longer can Mugabe hold out.


EU foreign ministers put pressure on China, African nations and others on Tuesday to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe in an effort to prevent President Robert Mugabe's regime from clamping down further on dissenters.
The 27 EU ministers also urged Zimbabwe's African neighbours to do more to get Mugabe to release the official results from last month's election.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...314136,00.html

[Roelof]

We all hope and pray that the presidential results will be released within the next few days and that Mugabe will step down.


UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on Tuesday there is a "serious humanitarian crisis" in Zimbabwe and urged the government to immediately release results of the presidential elections.

"The humanitarian situation is very worrisome. The Zimbabwe government has not released presidential results after four weeks. We know who is the winner. The authorities and President (Robert Mugabe) should release the results immediately," he said. "Because of the increasing violence and the number of displaced people fleeing their homes to other places, there is a serious humanitarian crisis," added Ban during a forum in Geneva.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...314196,00.html

[moonglow]

Still praying on this!

God bless

[Roelof]

Still praying on this!

God bless

moonglow

Thanks for your prayers, it appears that the results for the presidential elections are near.


Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is on course to beat Robert Mugabe in the first round of Zimbabwe's presidential election but will fall short of an outright victory, sources close to the electoral commission said on Wednesday.
"We don't have the final figure yet but at the last count we had between 48 and 50%" for Tsvangirai, said one senior source.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...315053,00.html

[Roelof]

I pray that the 2nd round will be free of intimidation and that Mugabe will loose totally.

Senior government officials in Zimbabwe leaked results yesterday for last month’s presidential elections, which apparently hand victory to the main opposition leader – but not by enough votes to win outright.
The news sets the scene for a bruising election run-off.
According to the officials, Morgan Tsvangirai won 47 per cent of the vote against President Mugabe’s 43 per cent. He needed more than 50 per cent to avoid a second round.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3850815.ece

[moonglow]

I pray that the 2nd round will be free of intimidation and that Mugabe will loose totally.

Senior government officials in Zimbabwe leaked results yesterday for last month’s presidential elections, which apparently hand victory to the main opposition leader – but not by enough votes to win outright.
The news sets the scene for a bruising election run-off.
According to the officials, Morgan Tsvangirai won 47 per cent of the vote against President Mugabe’s 43 per cent. He needed more than 50 per cent to avoid a second round.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3850815.ece

I don't understand....they are going to have everyone vote again? While things are in such chaos? I image most would be afraid to vote against this guy and more bloodshed will happen... What a mess..

God bless

[Roelof]

I don't understand....they are going to have everyone vote again? While things are in such chaos? I image most would be afraid to vote against this guy and more bloodshed will happen... What a mess..

God bless

moonglow

We appreciate your regular prayers.

If a candidate did not win 50% plus one vote in the presidential election, the nation must vote again.

I agree that our neighbour is in a mess. Mugabe uses the army and police to intimidate the MDC supporters and beat them up.

[Roelof]

The official results have not been released after 5 weeks, but it appears that Mugabe lost the presidential election.


Officials from Zimbabwe's electoral commission told all-party talks on Thursday that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won 47.8% in the March 29 presidential election while Robert Mugabe got 43.2%, sources in the meeting said.
A third candidate, former finance minister Simba Makoni, won 8% while the remaining votes went to rank outsider Langton Towungana, the sources told AFP on condition of anonymity.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...315492,00.html

[Roelof]

It appears that it will take a few more weeks before Mugabe will hopefully loose the run-off elections and that this ruined country might get a new president.

Please pray that the run-off will be fair and without intimidation by the ruling Zanu-PF party.


Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe accepted defeat in the presidential election to the opposition's Morgan Tsvangirai and will contest a run-off in a protracted political battle that has raised fears of bloodshed.

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) cried foul after Zimbabwe's electoral body announced on Friday that he had won 47.9% of the vote but faces a run-off after failing to garner enough votes for an outright majority. The MDC described the announcement of the long-delayed result as "scandalous daylight robbery". It says Tsvangirai won more than 50% of the vote in the March 29 election and Mugabe's 28-year rule is over.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...315921,00.html

[Roelof]

I pray that the re-run for the presidential elections will be free of violence and intimidation.


Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, insists he will return to his country and face the terror campaign that is destroying his party, despite fears for his life.
“I will go back,” he vowed to The Sunday Times, after the announcement of official election results that put him ahead of President Robert Mugabe but without an outright victory, meaning a second round of voting will take place.

“Mugabe acts as if Zimbabwe is his private fiefdom and doesn’t care if he has to burn it down to keep power,” he said. “We cannot allow that.”

He claimed the five-week delay in announcing the presidential results was to buy time for the ruling Zanu-PF to destroy the MDC’s organisation and intimidate the population so they would not dare to vote for the opposition again.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3867718.ece

[Roelof]

Please continue to pray for our neighbour country.


Zimbabwean police violently dispersed a group of people aligned to the new head of the Methodist church who were attending a service in Harare on Sunday and arrested a clergyman who was presiding over the service.

About 20 armed riot policemen had descended on the group aligned to the new head of the Harare diocese, Bishop Sebastian Bakare, and ordered them to disperse before arresting Reverend Farai Mutamiri. They bundled him into a police truck and drove him away.
Those who tried to resist the order were beaten up with batons.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...316402,00.html

[Roelof]

UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday expressed alarm at reports of rising violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe and said he was consulting with African leaders on how to help resolve the country's election crisis.

"I am deeply concerned at reports of rising levels of violence and intimidation" in Zimbabwe, he told reporters. He said he was consulting with the chief of the African Union (AU), President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, AU commission chief Jean Ping and Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, who currently heads the 14-member Southern Africa Development Community, on how best to handle the crisis.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...317084,00.html

[moonglow]

Please continue to pray for our neighbour country.


Zimbabwean police violently dispersed a group of people aligned to the new head of the Methodist church who were attending a service in Harare on Sunday and arrested a clergyman who was presiding over the service.

About 20 armed riot policemen had descended on the group aligned to the new head of the Harare diocese, Bishop Sebastian Bakare, and ordered them to disperse before arresting Reverend Farai Mutamiri. They bundled him into a police truck and drove him away.
Those who tried to resist the order were beaten up with batons.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...316402,00.html

Mmmm I had to read this article through several times...so a pastor and two Catholic pastors are having a dispute and one, because he supports Mugabe gets special treatment?

Those who tried to resist the order were beaten up with batons. Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena could not be reached for comment regarding the reason for the arrest of Mutamiri and his whereabouts.

Recently High Court judge Rita Makarau ruled that both church members aligned to axed bishop Nolbert Kunonga and Bakare must share the St Mary's Cathedral church.

Kunonga's faction had attended the service early morning inside the church building and the Bakare faction was scheduled for mid-morning in the church courtyard.

Kunonga has made no secret of his sympathy for President Robert Mugabe's government and its policies, which handsomely rewarded his support by giving him a farm seized from its former white owner.

He has resisted his expulsion from the church and formed a splinter church group after his ousting.

Since the wrangle started, armed police have been called to disrupt church services in Harare, arresting at least three priests and a number of parishioners opposed to Kunonga and openly challenged the decision to allow the disgraced bishop to take over against the will of the people.

There was also a heavy deployment of secret security agents to attend the Bakare faction services.

Wonder what the pope will have to say about this? Hopefully something!! I didn't realize religion was so heavily involved in the problems going on over there...should have known that though from my dreams...

Still praying...praying for the safety of this arrested preacher!

God bless

[Roelof]

Moonglow

Thanks for your prayers.

[Roelof]

Washington - After a new round of government-backed lethal attacks on Zimbabwe opposition figures, the United States on Thursday called for President Robert Mugabe to stop the campaign of intimidation.
Gordon Johndroe, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said that "this violence and intimidation needs to stop". "Mugabe and his supporters need to refrain from this sort of activity against those who are supporting the opposition," he told reporters onboard Air Force One.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...319095,00.html