MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-MDC-T candidate for Gweru Urban Constituency, Brian Dube said political actors should be tolerant and restrain from inciting political violence ahead of next week’s harmonized elections.
He said it was important that politicians commit to peace and non-violence as well as respect the sanctity of human life.
Dube was speaking to The Midweek Watch on the sidelines of the peace pledge signing ceremony of political parties that are participating in next week’s polls.
The Church in Zimbabwe, through the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations, (ZHOCD), comprising the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, (EFZ), the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, (ZCBC), the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, (ZCC) in partnership with the Zimbabwe Institute hosted the Midlands provincial peace pledge signing ceremony yesterday.
“It is important that politicians commit to peace and non-violent and respect each other because an election is an event that comes and go and the supporters remain members of a community who need each other. There are also no winners during an election. The real winners are the electorate who would have voted for a candidate of their choice,” he said.
He added that the peace pledge is significant and most important for all Zimbabweans, adding that there was life after the elections.
ZCC president Bishop Dr Ignatius Makumbe said Zimbabweans should introspect and guard against violence as it derails development.
Gweru signing ceremony was a follow up to the national peace pledge signed in Harare on August 4 by political parties that includes Zanu PF, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), MDC-T, UZA and ZCPD.
In 2022, Zimbabwe was ranked number 127 out of 163 countries on Global Peace Index and is reported to be one of the least peaceful countries in the Southern Africa.