Zimbabwe's justice minister slams clergy

[dArKeR]

Harare - Zimbabwe's justice minister has lashed out at church mediators trying to restart talks between the ruling and opposition parties.

This has dashed hopes for a joint effort to end the nation's political and economic crises.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa accused Anglican Bishop Sebastian Bakare, head of the three-member church mediation group, of belonging to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, The Herald newspaper, a government mouthpiece, reported on Thursday.

Chinamasa said Bakare and Bishop Trevor Manhanga, leader of the Zimbabwe Evangelical Fellowship, were not "honest brokers" but opposition members who had previously denounced the government and the ruling Zanu-PF party. "They are MDC activists wearing religious collars," Chinamasa said.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=vn20030801051336501C982949&set_id=1

http://darker0darker.tripod.com/

[DemBones DemBones]

1. And the next paragraph reads:

"He made no mention of Roman Catholic Bishop Patrick Mutume, the third member of the mediation group."

Apparently he believes Bishop Mutume to be an honest broker.