SOUTH AFRICA: A prominent critic of the Zimbabwean government has questioned the merits of European Union sanctions against President Robert Mugabe's regime, saying they are only succeeding in hurting the poor.
Catholic Archbishop of Harare Robert Ndlovu said it was "naive" to think economic sanctions would cause the Zimbabwean people to rise up against the government.
"There may be a miscalculation by the international community. Avoiding the Zimbabwean government and imposing sanctions is not going to work. The government is more entrenched than ever," he said.
"Zimbabweans are not for an open conflict at the moment. I think any uprising would be crushed."
Archbishop Ndlovu, who has repeatedly condemned human rights abuses in Zimbabwe since his appointment by the Vatican two years ago, was speaking in Pretoria on Tuesday during a round of meetings with the South African Catholic hierarchy and local political figures.
The visit comes days after the publication in Harare of a church document recommending a new constitution for the troubled southern African state.
The report, prepared in large part by the Zimbabwean bishops' conference, of which the archbishop is president, also calls for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission to help establish the facts of recent atrocities in the country.
"There have been conflicts before independence and after independence. As late as last year, there was Operation Clean-up [ the forced eviction of tens of thousands of shack-dwellers]. All of these events have left deep scars in people, and we feel it's important that the truth be told."
The hierarchy in Zimbabwe has historically been reluctant to publicly oppose Mr Mugabe who, like roughly one-quarter of the population, is Catholic.
However, in recent years, it has taken a more aggressive stance, led by Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube who, like Ndlovu, is a member of the Ndebele people - the ethnic group most alienated by Mr Mugabe's reign. While Archbishop Ncube has called for Mr Mugabe to be overthrown, Archbishop Ndlovu is more cautious. Asked whether a solution to the political crisis should come from within the ruling Zanu-PF party, he replied: "There may be something in that. The opposition is struggling at the moment. They need to put their house in order for them to be a real alternative."