Bishop Bakare's Statement

A statement by Bishop Sebastian Bakare can be found here (20 May).

It includes a list of events in churches during May.

St. Pauls Parish in Highfield: Three parishioners were seriously beaten by the Police.

St Columbus, Kuwadzana: 12 parishioners including their Rector Fr J Matyatya were harassed and arrested. They were held in Police custody overnight but only to be discharged

On the 10th May, 2008 a couple was refused entrance to St Pauls Parish for their wedding ceremony. The wedding was then conducted in a community hall.

On 11th May, 2008, at St Pauls Highfield, riot police numbering approximately 50 officers descended on the congregation. They ended up having their Mass at a small private residence where neighbours offered chairs but there were not enough for 800 people.

Christ Church Borrowdale: The Church Wardens forceably opened the gate which had been locked. Agressively the Police descended on the congregation before they could start the service. The Church Warden was arrested and interrogated for approximately 2 hours only to be told to go home without being charged. He told the Police that he was not going home but going tomchurch to pray. Meanwhile, the few who had remained, wanting to know the fate of their Church Warden, went with him to pray in the Church without having Holy Communion.

St Francis, Waterfalls: The service was disrupted during receiving Holy Communion. Six women were beaten by the Police all of whom sustained injuries. The Officer- in- Charge, Insp. Butau stood by watching his details engaged in their orgy of violence against innocent and defenceless parishioners.

St. Andrews Parish, Glenview: The congregation had to relocate itself to a Methodist Church in the neighbourhood after the Police had denied them access into their church premises.

Elsewhere in the Diocese, parishioners were prevented from holding their services by the security details. Many parishioners now wonder what the security forces have to do with our Diocese.

and concludes,

We believe that what is happening to the Diocese of Harare, (CPCA) is indicative of what can happen to any denomination tomorrow. As a Christian body we understand that if one part of the body is suffering and is persecuted the whole body suffers.