The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
THE church, through the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD), has urged political parties and their supporters to be ambassadors of peace and maintain the current peaceful environment.
ZHOCD members recently aired these sentiments while presiding over a Provincial Peace Pledge signing ceremony for political parties.
Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) president, Bishop Never Muparutsa urged political parties and Zimbabweans to collectively promote peace and tolerance in all electoral processes.
“Among other commitments, the political parties are pledging here today to promote and fully comply with the provisions of the Electoral Code of Conduct contained in the fourth schedule of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13).
“They are also pledging to ensure that all citizens’ and voters’ rights to freedom of expression, association, personal choice and secrecy are guaranteed as well as refrain from inducing fear in citizens and voters through hate speech and all forms of violence, intimidation, force, undue influence, reprisals and all other electoral malpractices,” said Bishop Muparutsa.
The political parties that participated in the signing ceremony include Zanu PF, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) and MDC T, among other parties that contested in the harmonised elections on Wednesday.
In an interview, Zanu PF national deputy secretary for Legal Affairs, Cde Fortune Chasi urged all political actors to be peaceful.
He said Zanu PF does not tolerate violence and will punish any members or supporters who violate this principle.
“Signing the pledge shows that as the revolutionary party, we are committed to peace.
“We have always been a peaceful party, and we will always preach the message of peace,” said Cde Chasi.
The Provincial Peace Pledge signing ceremony was a follow-up to the National Peace Pledge which was signed in Harare on August 4.
