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SOKWANELE
Enough
is Enough
We have a fundamental right to freedom of expression!
Sokwanele reporter
30 June 2004
The St Cross Anglican
Church in the Hwedza district of Mashonaland East has been the spiritual home
and centre point of the farming community of that area for decades. It is – or
was – a beautiful little church, nestling among the granite rocks and msasa
trees that grow to a great height in that region. A feature of the little church was the large
plain glass window behind the altar, affording worshippers a magnificent view of
this remarkable landscape.
Imagine the shock and
dismay then of an elderly parishioner who visited the church last week only to
find that this hallowed sanctuary had been plundered and vandalized by ZANU PF
thugs. Many of the pews had been
removed, the altar stripped out and the beautiful antique organ was gone. Daubed on the walls in red paint were slogans
to the effect that “This is now a Catholic Church”.
While the meaning and
purpose of the offensive graffiti may not be immediately clear, reliable reports
from the area indicate that ZANU PF meetings are now held in the building. It is also known that the ZANU PF Minister
responsible for youth training, Elliot Manyika, has put out the word that
henceforth party meetings must be held in churches wherever possible in order to
“undermine the authority of the Church”
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