SOUTH AFRICA:Zimbabwe's leading dissident cleric has accused the government of trying to "decimate" the opposition through police harassment and state-sponsored violence while supposedly engaging in peace talks.
Pius Ncube, the outspoken Roman Catholic archbishop of Bulawayo, said he welcomed the efforts of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to mediate on the crisis in Zimbabwe.
However, he expressed doubt as to whether president Robert Mugabe was genuinely interested in negotiating a solution.
Speaking in Johannesburg yesterday at the publication of a church-sponsored report into the crisis, Archbishop Ncube described Mr Mugabe as a "megalomaniac" who lives for power.
"Even his own party are pleading with him - 'Please stand down'. He is a Catholic, but being a Catholic does not protect you from being a criminal. Hitler was baptised a Catholic."
The archbishop said food shortages were becoming more widespread thanks to the government's recent clampdown on businesses allegedly "profiteering" from the country's economic crisis.
More than 30 company directors appeared in court on Monday charged with failing to heed government orders to cut prices of goods by half.
Since the price freeze was ordered a fortnight ago, many stores have shut down, with owners claiming that they have become unviable.
Government critics say the enforced cuts are merely aimed at staving off the complete collapse of the economy until after next year's presidential elections.
Mr Mugabe (83) is seeking to extend his 27-year reign by a further five years.
The report of the Solidarity Peace Trust, a South African-based lobby group co-chaired by Archbishop Ncube, said regional governments engaged in mediation on the issue should hold Mr Mugabe to account for human rights abuses.
"While the Mugabe regime might appear to be walking softly with SADC, it is certainly carrying a heavy stick against Zimbabweans categorised as the opposition.
"By attempting to justify state violence through the criminalisation of the opposition, the Zimbabwean ruling party has thus far established very clearly its contempt for peaceful dialogue, and the lack of seriousness about addressing the major obstacles to free and fair elections in 2008."
The report said that since the notorious, near-fatal attack on Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai last March, the ruling party Zanu-PF had carried out a concerted strategy of destroying the structures of the MDC.
"In the course of this onslaught MDC leaders and ordinary members have been beaten, tortured, killed and intimidated," the report said.