Zimbabwe’s first national election in the post-Mugabe era will be held in July, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced on the weekend.
“As a nation, party and government, we are looking forward to very peaceful, transparent and harmonised elections in July this year,” he told reporters following meetings with South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday night.
This will be a historic event for the Southern African nation and the first time since its independence from Britain in 1980 that Robert Mugabe won’t be on the ballot.
UNDP Administrator, Mr Achim Steiner concluded a three-day visit of Zimbabwe on Saturday, noting that a peaceful and credible election is vital for setting the country on the right economic and political pathway.
“UNDP is committed to continue supporting the preparatory process for the election and economic recovery efforts,” he said in a statement from the UN.
The President has made promises that the polls later this year will be free from the violence that has rocked previous elections and has damaged some of Zimbabwe’s foreign relations.
Mnangagwa also plans to hold a roundtable meeting with opposing political leaders to discuss committing to a non-violent election.
Mnangagwa has previously met with many of our AE International team, including Stephen Mbogo and Michael Cassidy.
Mnangagwa spoke at AE’s National Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Harare back in 2015, which was a part of the Harare Pan African Leadership Initiative.
AE are set to run the Harare University Mission in the capital in August this year and are aiming to reach over 14,000 people for Christ.
Please be praying with us as Zimbabwe prepare for this historic election.
For more African political news from AE in March, read about the recent Sierra Leone election.
Hopely, a southern suburb of Zimbabwe’s capital city Harare, is ironically titled. It is an extremely troubled shanty town, in which prostitution, drug use and violence are rife. A number of mysterious child deaths, poor access to clean water and poor sanitation are also cause for concern.
That’s why AE Zimbabwe’s Foxfires are reaching out through evangelistic activities. In August, the youngest evangelists in the AE family set out to share the love of Jesus, to bring hope and purpose to the most hopeless in the 25,000 strong community.
The team is excited to keep you up to date with stories from their ministry, especially the numbers of new believers from the recent 20 – 26 August mission. They connected with men, women and children through song, dance and testimony.
Zimbabwe Foxfires Coordinator Gardner Moyo says,
“The demand for the services of the Foxfire evangelists is overwhelming! We are always looking for more young people to join the ministry.”
Zimbabwe’s Foxfires are continuing to reach the nation! They are moving around cities preaching the gospel of our Lord at revival crusades and youth camps. They are evangelising in communities, schools, colleges and marketplaces. They are praying for the sick, comforting the bereaved, encouraging longstanding believers and supporting new believers from past missions, to keep the faith in their nation. These Foxfires are bringing new hope and healing to their people.
AE Australia is also excited to announce the construction of a new borehole in the Hopely community, provided through generous donors in Australia, that is due to be constructed in the coming months.
Thank you for praying for our Foxfires. Their work is crucial to the Gospel work of AE, in reaching the young populations of many African nations.
*Image is from a similar project in Malawi, 2012.
AE Zimbabwe has had a busy year of Gospel proclamation. Join us in celebrating some highlights of 2017 and the events Team Leader Guide Makore and his team are excited for in the coming months.
Youth evangelism is a significant focus for Zimbabwe. Six Foxfire youth evangelists (read their testimonies here) have reached nearly 1,000 people through presenting to 5 schools, 4 companies, 8 churches and 10 youth groups! The team will continue outreach for the rest of the year, with a focus on reaching refugees and bring hope through Jesus to all they encounter.
One CEO (Earthmovers Company) said,
“It is awesome to experience the love of God and hope as the gospel has been preached to us in the market place by these young Foxfire youth evangelists”
AE Zimbabwe has also held outreach events in the Easter holidays, connected with executive church leaders, and preached the Gospel in partnership with Campus Crusade in homes, beside streets and highways, outside factories and shops, and to inmates and correctional service guards at correctional facilities.
A student Ntabazinduna Zimbabwe Prison Correctional Services Training School said of the AE visit,
“I enjoyed the day so much. The theme ‘Operation Duty My Duty’ had a great impact on us as recruit officers, as we are going to work with the inmates in prison. Our duty is to look after them and take care of them. The message you gave to us was unique and really appreciated. We now know how to work well, because of your message. Thank you a million times over to all members of AE Zimbabwe.”
Thank you for praying for the AE Zimbabwe Team as they lay foundations for 2019 and 2020 missions to Bulawayo and Botswana. Pastor and student training in evangelism and discipleship are crucial first steps in this process.
AE Australia is also excited to announce the construction of a new borehole in Hopely, provided through the support of generous donors in Australia. The borehole is due to be constructed in the coming months, and will help restore dignity and life to 25,000 vulnerable people who call this shanty town on the southern outskirts of Harare home.
