THE Church yesterday rallied Zimbabweans to join hands in peace-building efforts and finding closure to the country’s dark human rights record.
The country today celebrates Unity Day, a day when PF Zapu and Zanu PF signed the Unity Accord in 1987 to end the Gukurahundi massacres.
At the time, at least 20 000 civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces lost their lives at the hands of a North Korea-trained Fifth Brigade deployed by the late former President Robert Mugabe.
In a statement, the Council for Churches in Africa (CCA) rallied Zimbabweans in fostering tolerance and harmony in their respective areas while calling on the clergy to be peace ambassadors.
“We really appreciate the efforts by both stakeholders, stockholders and institutions involved in the upbringing and existence of the Unity Day after signing the unity accord,” CCA founding president Rocky Moyo said in the statement.
“We respect peace ambassadors involved in the signing of the unity accord and, therefore, accept the responsibility to uphold all its provisions.
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“As churches, we assure our commitment and duty to the maintenance, observance and adherence to the tenets of the Unity Accord which gave birth to Unity Day.”
Moyo added: “Evangelism, fellowship and religious ecumenism have also complemented the Unity Accord hence churches are obliged to submit themselves to the principles of Unity Day.”
This year’s Unity Day celebrations come at a time when traditional leaders have been given a go-ahead to lead public hearings on Gukurahundi.
The public hearings are set to start early next year.
Moyo said the hearings were necessary to bring sustainable peace and unity among communities.
He also said truth telling was key towards “building trust among our people. Tolerance has given everyone an opportunity to co-exist with others,” he said.
“The spirit of Ubuntu guided by compassion, love, honesty, trust and tolerance has brought unity among Zimbabweans and gave birth to the best definition of peace. Through tolerance, we compromise as clergymen for realisation of a just society and progress.”