Mugabe's prayers will not save Zimbabwe : Mail & Guardian Online

President Robert Mugabe het verlede Sondag saam met kerkleiers van sy land gebid om vergifnis vir die land se sondes.

Mugabe joined church leaders on the weekend to pray for the country's prosperity and sought divine intervention to end a crisis that analysts blame on his 26-year rule.

The veteran leader, who has been Zimbabwe's sole ruler since independence from Britain, struck a spiritual note on Sunday, telling Christians who had gathered in Harare for a day of prayer that divine intervention could restore the country's position as a jewel of Africa.

He prayed for God to pardon Zimbabwe for sins committed that had brought suffering to the country.

Critics charged that Mugabe is trying to garner votes from the country's Christian community, pointing to his call for an annual national day of prayer on the country's calendar.

"What immediately comes to mind is that Mugabe is acknowledging that he has failed and is appealing to God to intervene," John Makumbe, a Mugabe critic and political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe told ZimOnline. "That is not the answer. The answer is found in policies that restore the rule of law and solve the issue of Mugabe's legitimacy."