by Senior reporter
In a bid to pile pressure on Government of Zimbabwe ahead of the 2023 elections, the European Union (EU) has committed substantial financial resources to the Faith Based Organisations which have lately taken an increasing role in shaping opposition politics in Zimbabwe, the Harare Post can reveal.
The bloc has recently published the Financial Transparency System (FTS) Annual Report for 2019 which features FBOs as the major beneficiaries of the EU funds, to, according to an impeccable source, influence regime change in Zimbabwe.
The FTS annual reports show how the EU funds are used in various countries.
According to the report which is in possession of this publication, the FBOs which benefitted include Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe Projects Trust (EFZPT), the Union for Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe Africa Trust (UDACZT), the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) and Zimbabwe Council of Churches Programmes Trust (ZCCPT).
ZCCPT received 650 000 Euros (US$734 134) in 2018 for a programme called ‘Churches on Peace.’
The four FBOs were earmarked to receive 840 745 Euros (US$949 620) to implement a programme called ‘Strengthening the role of the church in promoting social cohesion and civic participation within devolution process.’
During the 2019-2020 financial year, the report reveals, 12 million Euros (US$13.5 m) was committed to various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and FBOs to implement governance based projects in Zimbabwe.
The report also shows that the EU committed about 1.9 million Euros (US$2.1m) ostensibly to support the Human Rights Defenders (HRD) in Zimbabwe to promote constitutionalism and the rule of law. The funds, which are directly managed by the EU Delegation in Zimbabwe, were deployed through the European Instrument for Human Rights and Democracy (EIHRD).
In an interview with this publication, political analyst, Dr James Chidza said the increase in the funding to FBOs had grown because of the mushrooming of clergymen who were playing a pivotal role in opposition politics in Zimbabwe.
Dr Chidza added: “The EU appears to be targeting the rural folk through funding of rural based associations. This is part of its long term objective of influencing political change in Zimbabwe through targeting ZANU PF supporters in the rural communities.”
“EU continues to be clamouring for a Human Rights Defenders movement in Zimbabwe, similar to that of Malawi which was instrumental in bringing change of government in that country,” he said adding that there were strong suspicions that the bloc sponsored the #31July2020 protests.
The EU has been meddling in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe since the Southern African country embarked on the historic land reform programme. The bloc has been funding proxies, among them the church, to cause regime change in the country. The church is also believed to be playing a behind-the-scene role in the planning of the much hyped demonstration to be staged at the end of this month.
The chief engineer of the protests, Jacob Ngarivhume has already hinted that upon overthrowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Church will play a pivotal role in forming a National Transitional Authority.
Analysts say as much as religious liberty is enshrined in the constitution of Zimbabwe, the clergymen must not abuse that freedom which can be revoked for the greater good of the nation.
