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Clashes in Zimbabwe Do Not Derail Africa 2003 Plans

STRASBOURG, France — Plans for the August 11-17 world Assembly Gathered in Bulawayo and Assembly Scattered continue on course despite national confrontations in Zimbabwe in early June. Material, social and political conditions for Africa 2003 have not fundamentally changed, note Larry Miller, executive secretary for Mennonite World Conference, and Ray Brubacher, International Coordinator for Africa 2003. The invitation of the host Brethren in Christ Church remains unwavering.

MWC leaders have decided that maintaining site reservations and organizing an alternative Assembly Gathered in South Africa is no longer financially reasonable nor logistically possible. Also, they have learned that holding the event in South Africa would shut out most of the 4,000 Africans from 17 countries, including 3,650 from Zimbabwe, who have now registered and could not afford to go to South Africa.

"If Assembly Gathered is to be African, it needs to take place in Bulawayo," says Miller. "In the unlikely event that it becomes impossible or unwise to hold Assembly Gathered in Bulawayo, it will simply be cancelled."

Reservations for an alternative site in Honeydew, South Africa for smaller MWC-related meetings will be maintained until July 1. If those meetings are held there, international registrants will be notified and invited to attend them as observers and worship participants. If a decision to cancel all meetings in Zimbabwe needs to be made after July 1, implementation of the South Africa plan will be attempted but cannot be assured.

MWC officials again consulted with Zimbabwean church leaders, national and international staff in Bulawayo, as well as some foreign embassies in Zimbabwe representing countries from which Africa 2003 international registrants come as the early June events were unfolding.

The opposition party's call for "stay-aways" from work, supported by peaceful street demonstrations, successfully shut down much of the country's economy for five days. In response, the government deployed police and the military to clamp down on street gatherings in urban public areas and arrested the head of the opposition party. Both sides claimed victory, while independent analysts declared the confrontation a stand-off.

Reports continue to circulate that government and opposition parties are meeting to negotiate a transitional government. In the meantime, the opposition threatens more strategic action and the government has shown it can repress such opposition.

In the meantime, the MWC Bulawayo staff has moved its office from downtown Bulawayo to the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre, site of Assembly Gathered, as planned. They are moving forward, setting up the site and procuring the necessary food, fuel and equipment for the world assembly of more than 5,000 people.

The stakes of participation in Africa 2003 are high for internationals, Zimbabweans and for MWC itself, says Miller, but he encourages all registrants to weigh "how much inconvenience, uncertainly and risk seems good to you and the Holy Spirit."

Concludes Brubacher: "May you continue to hear with us the call from Zimbabwe: 'Woza! Come! God has something here for you.'"

Ferne Burkhardt, News Editor

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BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — Brethren in Christ church leaders in Zimbabwe have offered their assessment of the current situation in their country along with restating their desire to host the Mennonite World Conference Assembly Gathered here.

The country can still be said to be "at peace," claimed Danisa Ndlovu, Bishop of the Brethren in Christ Conference in Zimbabwe. That is not to say citizens are happy with events that surrounded the early June mass demonstrations, he adds, or the arrest of the head of the opposition party as well as the detainment and questioning of other opposition leaders (who were subsequently released). Other than these arrests, the situation on the ground is not different from four months or one month ago. The nation has remained resolute in desiring dialogue rather than confrontation, he said.

Ndlovu is concerned about how events in his country are being reported in the international media. According to his sources and experience, militant groups attacking civilians seem to have been generally isolated incidents confined to some sections of Harare and/or eastern parts of the country.

On June 10, Ndlovu met with the mayor of Bulawayo, who was among the opposition leaders briefly detained by security agents, to discuss security concerns expressed by international planners and registrants for the Mennonite World Conference Assembly Gathered to be held here August 11-17.

"The political problems currently being experienced are a reality but I want them [internationals] to know they will be very safe here in Bulawayo and in Zimbabwe in general," said Mayor Japhet Ndabeni Ncube. He said that his excitement about having such a conference meet in his city has not blurred his objectivity. It would be naive and harmful to him to invite internationals and then expose them to danger, said Ncube. He would rather preserve his integrity, he said.

"We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis," said Ndlovu. "We do not know what the future holds but we know that God has been gracious with us this far.... It is when we try to address the issues of tomorrow, what we don't see, that we appeal to faith." He urged proceeding with conference preparations. "It is our prayer and hope that reason and dialogue rather than violence will prevail in the coming days," said Bishop Ndlovu.

— Ferne Burkhardt, News Editor

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