Catholics urge South Africa to refuse shipments of arms from Zimbabwe

Published: 2008-04-21

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- Catholic bishops in southern Africa have urged the South African government to stop all shipments of armaments to Zimbabwe, which is in political and economic crisis. A Chinese ship carrying arms to Zimbabwe was turned away from the South African port of Durban April 18 after the South African High Court refused to allow the weapons to be transported across the country. "On behalf of the Catholic community in southern Africa, I call on the South Africa government not to allow any more arms and munitions to enter Zimbabwe through South Africa until an acceptable solution is found to the present situation," Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban said April 18 in a statement issued on behalf of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference. Zimbabwe's parliamentary and presidential elections, held March 31, prompted tensions between the government and opposition in Zimbabwe. While Zimbabwe's electoral commission has failed to issue final results, Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he won the presidential poll and his party took a majority of parliamentary seats. President Robert Mugabe, 84, and his supporters are preparing for a runoff as well as challenging some of the parliamentary results.

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