Catholic commission  rapped for dabbling in politics Prof Mhiripiri
Prof Mhiripiri

Prof Mhiripiri

Herald Reporter
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace has come under fire for allegedly dabbling in opposition politics after it urged the civic society to join MDC-T in boycotting future elections to press Government to implement the so-called reforms.

The CCJP also sought to discredit the just ended by-elections in Mount Darwin West and Chirumanzu-Zibagwe constituencies, saying they were not free and fair. This is despite the fact that losing candidates in the polls duly accepted defeat and agreed that the elections were credible.

Addressing journalists in the capital this week, CCJP chairperson Bishop Alex Muchabaiwa said MDC-T was justified in calling for an election boycott until there were reforms.

“We understand their concerns and we encourage them to partner with similar and like-minded institutions to push harder for the necessary reforms and alignment of the past laws to the constitution,” he said.

In giving CCJP’s view on the just ended by-elections for which it deployed observers, Bishop Muchabaiwa said the polls were not free and fair.

“For example, in the resettlement areas some people were told that if they make any independent choices, the land would be taken away just as it happened to some in the previous elections,” said Bishop Muchabaiwa ,without specifying where such threats were made, and by whom.

Bishop Muchabaiwa said that some traditional leaders coerced some people to vote for certain political parties, again without providing any shred of evidence. Political analysts rapped the commission, saying it was overstepping its mandate by dabbling in opposition politics. Mr Goodwine Mureriwa said the CCJP was pushing Western interests by singing from the same hymn book with MDC-T.

“They are being driven by Western interests,” he said.

“CCJP is interpreting the Zimbabwean situation using Western interests. It is not an objective analysis of the situation in Zimbabwe.”

Mr Mureriwa said the CCJP will be remembered for compiling an exaggerated report in 1997 about the disturbances that occurred in the 1980s around the Matabeleland and Midlands regions.

Another political analyst Professor Nhamo Mhiripiri said that it was preposterous for CCJP to support MDC-T in its election boycott because the opposition party was in Parliament where it could push for any changes.

He said it was not prudent for the MDC-T and CCJP to hold the country at ransom by seeking to have elections stalled.

“The question to be asked is: are these views being proposed pro-people?” Prof Mhiripiri said.

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