The police has intervened twice over the past weekend to halt a prayer initiative in Harare, accusing the organizers of holding a political event without  required authorization, reports the Missionary International Service News Agency (MISNA) citing  the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference as a source. Various arrests have taken place.

The ecumenical organization Christian Alliance had first announced the  “prayer for peace” scheduled to take place in a Jesuit school. After the police intervention, however, the organizers decided to try meeting again in a Lutheran church on Saturday. “The agents have also arrested four pastors” said Fr. Tarcisius Zimbiti of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe.

According to MISNA sources, the intervention of  public authorities could be explained by the support given to the prayer event by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Christian Alliance is significantly involved  in social justice and human rights initiatives, as RelZim has previously reported.