HARARE, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday urged churches to spread the word of peace, unity, love and forgiveness ahead of elections scheduled for mid-2018.
"There is no need for violence. This is a new era," Mnangagwa told church leaders from various denominations attending the National Elders Forum.
"I will soon be meeting with my fellow leaders of political parties in Zimbabwe to drum up the message that all of us, as leaders, must actively shun violence, but rather exercise tolerance," he said.
Disagreements are common in politics, but dialogue, rather than violence, is the solution to addressing any situation, state news agency New Ziana quoted Mnangagwa as saying.
In the upcoming elections, Mnangagwa will run against a host of other candidates, chief among them Nelson Chamisa, of the country's largest opposition party, MDC-T.
"As voters, we must reward those who seek dialogue and treat opponents with respect.
"Let us bear in mind that we are a family, and that what unites us as Zimbabweans is greater than anything that can divide us," Mnangagwa said.
The Zimbabwe Council of Churches has also been running campaigns urging Zimbabweans to vote peacefully in the elections.
