BiAS 7 – The Bible and Politics in Africa
if the constitution making goes uninterrupted then the future of ZANU
PF is doomed.
In times of elections the church has to play a pivotal role before, during
and after the elections to ensure free and fair elections. She must not be
relegated to being a mere observer who is helpless. She has to also guard
against supporting a given party because that will jeopardize her integ-
rity. The church must find ways to engage all the parties involved in an
election and urge them to shun aspects such as political violence, vote
buying, intimidation, hate speech and victimization. Each political party
must campaign freely and awarded equal campaigning space in both
print and electronic media. The electorate must have freedom of associa-
tion. They must be equipped with the knowledge that your vote is your
secret especially in rural areas because in the past there were allegations
that people were intimidated that the oppressors will know whom one
has voted for. This whole process will help Christians to conclude
whether a government is legitimate or illegitimate and likewise ordained
by God (Rom 13:1ff).
With the complexity of the Zimbabwean politics, the church has to play
a crucial role in advocating for truth and reconciliation after the sad
experience of the March and June 2008 elections. Churches in Zim-
babwe identified themselves with position taken by the authors of the
Kairos Document in South Africa in the days of the apartheid when they
attested that “ ... to be totally unchristian to plead for reconciliation and
peace before the present injustices have been removed since any such
plea only plays into the hands of oppressors by trying to persuade those
who are oppressed to try to accept (their) oppression and to become
reconciled to the intolerable crimes committed against (them). This is
not Christian reconciliation, it is sin. No reconciliation is possible with-
out justice.” It is therefore imperative for the law to take its course for
those who committed crimes before, during and after 2008 elections.
The current rhetoric in state controlled media that let by-gones be by-
gones is tantamount to fueling of evil. If such people are not charged
how will they refrain from such acts in future? The truth and reconcilia-
tion commission must execute its duties without impartiality. In as
much as the church must preach about forgiveness, the law must take
its course. This procedure is in tandem with Paul’s remarks that the
state or rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad (Rom 13:3).