wfn.org | LWF General Secretary on Zimbabwe

["Frank Imhoff" <franki@elca.org>]

Zimbabwe: LWF General Secretary Calls for Restoration of Broken
Relations
More Violence Threatens Chances for Free and Fair Election

GENEVA, 27 February 2002 (LWI) - In the wake of increasing
pre-election violence in Zimbabwe and the pulling out of European
Union (EU) election observers, General Secretary of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, is urging that
necessary steps be taken to restore "the many relations that are
being broken nationally and internationally."

In an interview with Lutheran World Information (LWI) here today,
Noko said he regrets that some of the very same people who were
former refugees who had returned home inspired by the promise of
an independent and democratic Zimbabwe are now fleeing the country
because of violence and intimidation.

Noko, a Zimbabwean, says the prevailing political controversies in
his country are compelling even the "oldest and most loyal friends
to mutually exclude each other." He notes that Zimbabwe's
relationship with Sweden for example, has been brought to "a new
low," recalling that the Government and people of Sweden were
among "the most faithful friends" of the liberation struggle and
nation-building process after independence in 1980.

The full text follows:

LWI: How do you evaluate the presidential election in Zimbabwe
today?

Noko: In the present political culture and environment, political
parties in Zimbabwe, like elsewhere in the world, are trapped in
election campaigns based on an unhealthy method whereby the more
one defames their opponent, the better are the chances of winning
the election. By the end of the election process, leaders have
lost respect for one another, the nation is divided, and seeds of
division sown during the campaign period begin to grow and ripen.
Negative effects are felt long after the election. This, in my
view amounts to a political "disease" that surely but slowly eats
away the fabric of democracy. I am fully aware that democracy is
not a perfect system, but nonetheless one cannot demonize one's
opponents and hope to be their "beloved" President the next day.

Do you think an institution like the church should address this
"disease"?

Absolutely. Politics is not the exclusive realm of politicians and
their parties particularly during an election process like
Zimbabwe's. If we agree that "too much focus" on who wins an
election is becoming a socio-political "disease" then the church
must speak against this. As society's moral custodian, the church
is accountable to its to its youth. Otherwise how can we hope to
form future upright leaders when all they experience is a culture
of intimidation?

The European Union election observer team recently withdrew from
Zimbabwe saying the authorities were not allowing them to do their
job properly. Do you think the current political situation
guarantees an independent electoral process for the remaining
observers, monitors as well voters in the March 9-10 election?

It is unfortunate that Zimbabwe's electoral campaign is marred by
political violence, serious abuse of human rights, questionable
allegations, unnecessary media restrictions, name calling and open
intimidation of ordinary people entitled to exercise their
democratic right to choose a leader. These difficulties minimize
any guarantee for a free and fair election. I hope that the
presence of observers from South Africa, the Southern African
Development Community, other African nations, the Commonwealth and
wider ecumenical community will help reduce excessive political
violence. Having said that I wish to point out that the problems
between Zimbabwe and the EU could have been avoided if both
parties had been equally committed to finding a solution.

What would you consider to be the immediate and long-term effect
of the EU's absence from Zimbabwe at this crucial juncture?

For the moment Zimbabwe, and the EU harbor bad feelings about each
other. The "smart sanctions" have been announced and are being
applied. This will lead to even less cordial relations between
them. It is quite possible that the restrictions imposed on
President Robert Mugabe and his closest allies will soon be
followed by further sanctions that will unfortunately affect
ordinary Zimbabweans in the long-term.

How do you explain the tension between Zimbabwe and the EU?

Although the difficulty between say Zimbabwe and the United
Kingdom is not necessary, one could explain it as a consequence of
historical baggage. What is more difficult to comprehend is the
emerging acrimony between the Government of Zimbabwe and others in
the EU. Are they understood to be taking a political stand against
Zimbabwe in support of the British government in the context of
the EU foreign policy?

It goes without saying that there is existing tension between
Zimbabwe and Britain around the issue of land redistribution. The
just redistribution of Zimbabwean land is an essential matter for
political and public attention, but violence and illegal acts have
in the recent past undermined any legitimate argument in favor of
addressing this. This matter does not concern other EU partners.
Zimbabwe as a sovereign state has the right to decide to whom it
will grant permission to enter and remain on its territory, and
whom it will accredit to observe any national election. If indeed
Zimbabwe is democratic and not hiding anything with respect to
accreditation of international observers, would it not be more
transparent to make these observers monitors.

Could you elaborate, through specific examples relations that
would not have soured were it not for the EU umbrella? 

For years, the Government of Sweden and Swedes have stood firm in
support of Zimbabwe's self-determination and post-independence
nation-building process, especially in the field of health and
education. When black Zimbabweans were in exile Sweden, together
with like-minded nations, sought to speak on behalf of the
silenced majority in the context of the United Nations and
provided direct assistance to Zimbabwean refugees in Botswana,
Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania. This friendship was also
exemplified in the role played by persons such as former Swedish
Prime Minister, the late Olof Palme, and in his close personal
relationship with both Mugabe and Zimbabwe's former Vice-President
the late Joshua Nkomo. As you might have realized recent events
have brought relations between these two friendly nations on the
one hand, and Zimbabwe and the EU on the other, to a new low. One
would hope that the true friendship with Sweden could have
contributed to finding a solution to the current difficulties.

Do you have any  further comment on Zimbabwe's political scene?

Let me conclude by saying that I consider it very sad indeed that
having gained independence and having established democracy,
political confrontation within the country should have risen to a
point when 20 years later people are again leaving Zimbabwe as
refugees, fleeing to neighboring countries and abroad. Some of the
very same people, former refugees and supporters of the liberation
struggle, who returned home inspired by the promise of an
independent and democratic Zimbabwe are again being forced to flee
in fear. Regardless of the image that the rest of the world may
now have of Zimbabwe, this is the most serious consequence of this
grave situation. Having come thus far as a nation, present day
politics should be more than a means to an end, and in this case,
winning an election at any cost. This unfortunate plight of
ordinary Zimbabweans serves as another vivid example of the many
relations that are being broken nationally and internationally.
Zimbabwe cannot afford this. Relations must be restored. Success
of a political party must translate into dignity for all people,
and not submit them to humiliation and fear.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 133 member churches in 73 countries representing over 60.5
million of the 64.3 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted,
material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the
LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgement.]

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