Zimbabwe: clergy told to keep quiet

Zanu PF has told church leaders involved in efforts to bring it and the opposition MDC party to the negotiating table to stop making statements about the "talks about talks", the Zimbabwe Standard reported yesterday. The Standard said that senior Zanu PF stalwarts had warned the clergy the party would not co-operate with their efforts to broker talks with the MDC if it kept on divulging developments concerning the talks to the press. "Zanu PF has issued a veiled threat that if the church keeps updating the nation about developments around the talks, they may pull out of the efforts altogether," said a source who wished not to be named. Church spokesman Trevor Manhanga, said: "The talks have not started yet...that is common knowledge. We cannot keep responding to what each and everyone says every five minutes; that would be counter-productive. So we want Zimbabweans to be patient,. The church will inform them of the developments in due time." Zanu PF spokesman, Nathan Shamuyarira yesterday said: "I can not comment on anything concerning talks. We have neither met the church nor formally talked to the MDC and that is it."