Churches in Zimbabwe have spoken with hope about \u201cthe birth of a new nation\u201d, after military action on Wednesday appeared to curtail the rein of President Robert Mugabe.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the Zimbabwean Council of Churches said: \u201cWe see the current situation not just as a crisis in which we are helpless. We see the current arrangement as an opportunity for the birth of a new nation. Our God created everything out of chaos, and we believe something new could emerge out of our situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the hours that followed the military intervention, the general secretary of the Zimbabwean Council of Churches, the Revd Dr Kenneth Mtata, called on all political and civil actors to rebuild a broken society.<\/p>\n
Dr Mtata, a Lutheran pastor, said from Harare on Wednesday: \u201cThe current situation was inevitable. We had reached a point of no return. Our politics of attrition and toxic public engagement has had its logical conclusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur hope is that we can put back the train on the rails of democracy and citizenship engagement. We hope the current situation is only a transition to something that will be participatory and just.\u201d<\/p>\n