Election violence now threatens even children

Families are hiding their children and making plans to smuggle food across the border just so they can keep eating as the chaos leading up to the runoff election between Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe and challenger Morgan Tsvangirai escalates quickly, according to a U.S.-based Christian organization that is working there.

Mugabe has exercised near-absolute authority in the southern African nation since its independence in 1980, but earlier this year, Tsvangirai collected a reported 47 percent of the vote to Mugabe's 43 percent in an election, sparking widespread violence attributed to those who soon may be forced from power. Since no one, however, got 50 percent or more, a runoff is being set up in June.

As WND reported earlier, In Touch Mission International already has appealed to the free world for prayers for the violence expected for the faithful in Zimbabwe caught in the crossfire as strongman Mugabe struggles to retain power.

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Now the coordinator for South Africa for Christ the King Community Church of Mt. Vernon, Wash., is telling first-hand of the struggles.

CTK is a small group-based Christian movement that was launched in the Pacific Northwest about 10 years ago and has expanded its ministry rapidly across the U.S. and around the world. A coordinator for its African ministries, whose name is being withheld because of his activities, told WND this week that the approaching runoff election has people terrified.

"The violence is affecting everyone. The economy, with inflation now being 168,000 percent, leaves very little chance of members affording food and sustenance," he said. "In this, I have one of our attendees, who has family in South Africa 'front' financial assistance for us in Zim," he reported. "I give the funds to his family here in SA and he then gives material aid or money to our attendees in Zim.

"It is virtually impossible to transfer money to Zim, as the Zim government is keeping a very close vigil over any foreign funds entering the country. The option I am exercising is virtually the only one available at this state," he said.

Homes and livestock of Zimbabweans who voted for the opposition party are being destroyed in advance of the coming runoff election

CTK founder Dave Browning visited Africa in August 2007, and ordained a man living in South Africa as a pastor for the church. But he was from Zimbabwe.

"It came upon my heart to ask this pastor to return to Zimbabwe to spread the CTK vision there. He subsequently returned to Zimbabwe and discussed this with his tribal elders, who approved that he could speak to the people. CTK was born in Zimbabwe," the coordinator told WND.

"Simultaneously, I also made contact with various people I knew in Zimbabwe and they started gathering in small groups. Since then, we have formed 11 small groups across Zimbabwe, with three in Harare, two in Bulawayo and the rest spread across Zim," he said.

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The current violence, however, is affecting everyone in the nation, he said. It's being blamed on the ZANU-PF government assembled by Mugabe. South Africa news sources call it "Operation Mavhoterapapi," or "Who did you vote for?"

South Africa's IRIN news agency said this was launched after the March 29 election in which Mugabe's ZANU-PF government also lost its parliamentary majority to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

It reports several dozen people have been killed in the strategy that delivers violence, assault and death to individuals in regions where the vote favored the MDC movement.

CTK's coordinator confirmed that the church groups are making preparations for further violence.

"Due to my connections … I receive first-hand information on the situation in Zim. In our view, whoever wins the runoff election … we have no doubt that it is going to result in chaos in any case," he said. "To this end, I have members in SA on standby, to take in some of our attendees from Zim, should the situation warrant it. I cannot leave them destitute and would rather house them temporarily until the situation stabilizes."

"We do ask for lots and lots and lots of prayers, please!!!!" he told WND. "My heart is breaking to see this happening to our people in one of the most beautiful countries in Africa."

This man's back was covered in burning plastic, as a warningn to those who voted for the opposition candidate in Zimbabwe

In Touch Missions founder Bill Bathman earlier had identified Christians as the targets of the ZANU-PF persecution.

"Pastors have been arrested and imprisoned for 'subversive prayers.' Church buildings have been raided by police and bulldozed. Civilians have been beaten in the streets and judges in their chambers," he said. "We need your prayers."

The danger has been pushed to the extreme level," he warned.

At issue is the future of the nation that once served as a breadbasket for Africa, producing vast food supplies for export. But the confiscation of most of the farms from their longtime owners, with the government awarding them to "veterans," has left the nation's agriculture industry in ruins and the nation is unable even to feed its own people, giving the government the power of life or death over supporters or antagonists by simply not allowing food into some areas.

"The elections in Zimbabwe March 29 resulted in a landslide victory for Morgan Tsvangirai (pronounced Shang-ga-rye) and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and have brought on an unresolved crisis. Marxist President Robert Mugabe, who came to power in 1980, was soundly defeated after 28 years of communist misrule. But Mugabe (84) refuses to step down. His reign of terror has seen the average life expectancy almost cut in half, from 57 to 34 years…. We need your prayers," Bathman's appeal confirmed.

The CTK coordinator also reported he's working to protect children during the chaos. One effort has included reaching out to the South African embassy in Zimbabwe to arrange protection for two children who were visiting their father in Harare.

"We are extremely concerned, given the current developments in Zimbabwe and fear for the safety of these children, should the situation turn of the worse, which we pray doesn't happen," he said.

Bloggers report assaults and murders in the name of voting correctly in the runoff election, as well as assaults and beatings.

Sites such as This is Zimbabwe have document myriad cases of physical attacks, confiscation or destruction of property, including the burning of livestock and bulldozing of entire residential areas.

Amnesty International also has reported Mugabe's supporters are forcibly recruiting youths to carry out attacks against opposition members.

An In Touch missionary who has worked in Zimbabwe periodically over recent years also talked with WND about the situation, but on the condition his name not be used.

He said his recent work has been to try to arrange food and other necessities for the people of Zimbabwe who have been cut off from international food supplies by their own government, which has allowed rampant inflation to reduce whatever income they had sometimes to only pennies of month.

He said Christians, especially, were targeted because of their work in helping those the government had decided should be cut off.

Even prayer meetings were considered "unlawful political meetings" and those participating would be beaten or jailed, he reported.