Pastors Arrested in Zimbabwe for Giving Sweets to Children
Masvingo (Zimbabwe), SVM News, June 13, 2007: Three pastors were arrested in Masvingo in Zimbabwe by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) on Sunday, 10th June for distributing toys and sweets to the children.
Rev. Sonykis Chimbuya, Pastor Peter Bondai and Pastor Mugondi were the clergymen detained and interrogated by state security agents for distributing playing and eating materials to the kids.
In a bizarre case highlighting deep levels of paranoia in government, the agents of the Central Intelligence Organisation accused the pastors that they distributed campaign material of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is Zimbabwe's biggest opposition party.
Pastor Peter Bondai and Mugondi were released after they were interrogated for more than three hours while Pastor Chimbuya was kidnapped and dumped along the Masvingo-Great Zimbabwe highway hours after his arrest.
"We are living in constant fear after the harassment at the hands of the CIO agents," Rev. Sonykis Chimbuya said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.
"They just came to us and picked us one after the other. They asked us about the material we were distributing to various church organisations," said the churchmen.
"One of us was kidnapped and was only released after they had proved beyond doubt that the items we were distributing were in fact toys," They added.
The CIO agents also demanded that the pastors write down their sermons and present them to the secret agents for vetting before delivery.
State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa could not be reached for comment on the matter.
President Robert Mugabe last month warned church leaders to steer clear of politics after Catholic bishops denounced the Zimbabwean government over its human rights record.
SALEM VOICE MINISTRIES NEWS SERVICE (SVM NEWS)
Web: http://salemvoice.org Contact: ciniraj@asianetindia.com
News items and headlines: http://salemvoice.org/news.html
Gospel for Muslims: http://salemvoice.org/gospel2muslims.html
Center for Persecuted Christians in India and third world:
http://salemvoice.org/center4persecuted.html
Rev. Sonykis Chimbuya, Pastor Peter Bondai and Pastor Mugondi were the clergymen detained and interrogated by state security agents for distributing playing and eating materials to the kids.
In a bizarre case highlighting deep levels of paranoia in government, the agents of the Central Intelligence Organisation accused the pastors that they distributed campaign material of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is Zimbabwe's biggest opposition party.
Pastor Peter Bondai and Mugondi were released after they were interrogated for more than three hours while Pastor Chimbuya was kidnapped and dumped along the Masvingo-Great Zimbabwe highway hours after his arrest.
"We are living in constant fear after the harassment at the hands of the CIO agents," Rev. Sonykis Chimbuya said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.
"They just came to us and picked us one after the other. They asked us about the material we were distributing to various church organisations," said the churchmen.
"One of us was kidnapped and was only released after they had proved beyond doubt that the items we were distributing were in fact toys," They added.
The CIO agents also demanded that the pastors write down their sermons and present them to the secret agents for vetting before delivery.
State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa could not be reached for comment on the matter.
President Robert Mugabe last month warned church leaders to steer clear of politics after Catholic bishops denounced the Zimbabwean government over its human rights record.
SALEM VOICE MINISTRIES NEWS SERVICE (SVM NEWS)
Web: http://salemvoice.org Contact: ciniraj@asianetindia.com
News items and headlines: http://salemvoice.org/news.html
Gospel for Muslims: http://salemvoice.org/gospel2muslims.html
Center for Persecuted Christians in India and third world:
http://salemvoice.org/center4persecuted.html
posted by Salem Voice @ 5:35 PM
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