African bishops urge worldwide pressure to end violence in Zimbabwe

Published: 2008-05-13

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference has appealed for international pressure to end violence and torture in Zimbabwe. International election observers should be deployed immediately as the country prepares for a runoff presidential election, said South African Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, conference president, in a May 13 statement. "The current environment is not conducive to free and fair runoff elections," he said, speaking on behalf of the bishops' conference, which covers South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland. Reports of violence perpetrated by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party in the wake of the loss of its parliamentary majority in March 29 presidential and legislative elections have been widespread. The official presidential election results, published in early May after a delay of more than a month, put opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who garnered 47.9 percent of the vote, ahead of Mugabe, who took 43.2 percent. A minimum of 50 percent plus one vote was needed to avoid a second round of voting for the presidency.

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