THE VOICES from South Africa became bolder, and the cries from Zimbabwe more desperate, as the country intensified its pleas this week for international help to avert genocide.

Their comments have been supported by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.

A combined statement from the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe appealed to the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, and the UN to intervene in the post-election crisis. The Churches warned: “If nothing is done to help the people of Zimbabwe from their predicament, we shall soon be witnessing genocide similar to that in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and other hot spots in Africa and elsewhere.”

In a joint statement issued yesterday, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York call for “a civil society movement that both gives voice to those who demand an end to the mayhem that grows out of injustice, poverty, exclusion and violence”. They also call for an international day of prayer for Zimbabwe this Sunday in all Christian denominations “as part of a search for increased solidarity and justice for the people of Zimbabwe at home and in the UK.”

The Archbishops warn that without action from the international community “continuing political violence and drift could unleash spiralling communal violence, as has been seen elsewhere in the Continent where early warning systems or the international community failed to act in time.”

The Archbishops call for renewed efforts by the Government of South Africa, the United Nations and SADC to intervene in the crisis in Zimbabwe and also call for a world wide embargo on weapons sales to Zimbabwe.

The statement also echoes the concern of Church leaders in Zimbabwe about state-sponsored violence against ordinary Zimbabweans. They also say that the climate of political intimidation and the continued delays in announcing the election results has “left the presidential election process without credibility.”

The outcry has increased after the circulation of strong evidence of a widespread campaign of intimidation and torture. The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) has documented 242 cases of extreme injuries, which, it says, suggest “a disturbing trend of systematic violent assault and torture”.

These are the cases who manage to reach the private hospital in Harare where most victims of violence are treated. ZADHR warns: “With more victims possibly unable to access medical attention in rural areas, urgent action is required to prevent the situation deteriorating further.”

The Bishop of Harare, Dr Sebastian Bakare, who witnessed the events, said riot police had driven into the crowd at high speed to intimidate the women.

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