Eye witness account

This account was written last week. I have removed details that might identify people to prevent reprisal attacks. This was written by a Church Minister based in Harare.

Greetings in Jesus Christ’s name!

I write this to give you information and ask for your Prayer on the recent suffering that our very own brethrens in Mvurwi, namely, [details supplied] churches have gone through. These two fall under the care of the Mbare Session. I had an opportunity to visit the area on Sunday with a group of Elders and [name supplied].

As we were to get into the [name supplied] community, there were two road blocks manned by Youths from the ruling Party. We went through the first one quite easily as we managed to identify two youth from our church who were holding big sticks.

We were let in to go to face another road block again about 50m from the first one. At the second one we were immediately requested to give the Party Slogan. I enquired which slogan they wanted, and the response was clear, the Zanu PF slogan.

As I tried to engage the young man into dialogue a group of about 8 youth advanced towards our vehicle. Immediately Christ shined on one of them who saw me and shouted ” They are Church People!”. That is how we were spared. Thank God we did not have to.

We were made to wait for the base commander to come and search our vehicle but he could not come. It was after about 30 minutes that we were searched by one of the Youth.

We then had to start the service at 1245 instead of 1000, of which only 33 people attended instead of the +270 people who normally come to church on a Sunday.

During the Service many, if not everybody there could not hold their tears. I did of course allowed them to express themselves to give space for healing.

Many could not come to Church as the Church had been marked as aligned to the Opposition. As this is a rural community, through the [organisation name] we have been supporting children with school fees. We have also assisted the community with blankets we get from a local congregation - second hand clothes from [Harare] congregation and maize seed; all this support was being marked as coming from the Opposition. What a crazy thought.

Our young people who are also being used as militias, when they asked to be released for Church, they then each received 4 strokes each for asking and were released. They came limping. Its sickening, sad.

I couldn’t hold my tears when they were narrating their stories.

Some of our members were savagely beaten. One girl aged about 19 was beaten and has been bleeding from the Uterus. We had to urgently put together some money for to go to the clinic.

One woman could not walk.

The following monday [name supplied] ferried some to a Clinic in Harare, and one was immediately admitted, as his rib was suspected to have been broken .

On Thursday we had a group of 7, coming to *** for medical treatment. One was immediately admitted. Some were limping and some could not sit. One had a broken hand so he had to put up with me at the Manse. He has since been admitted at *** for him to get the plaster. The rest were treated and then went back into hiding. Amongst these, some are of course not our members but people from the same community. We just have got to care for all in need.

[Name supplied] was threatened with death and has since moved to [town name supplied]. He ran away without clothes, blankets and food. His children can’t go to school as he could not leave them.

I would like to thank those that have been calling, assuring us of their prayers.

Please keep praying.

On Thursday we also received news that things are not well in Mhangura where it is being believed that about 5 teachers have been killed. We are still waiting for news from there as we have got three teachers in our congregation. Some of you know that teachers are being targeted. I have had my two young brothers withdrawing after one who was a teacher in Mt Darwin had to run for his life when the school was surrounded by the ruling party militias. These people mean danger.

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