by Shawn Hendricks, posted Thursday, April 10, 2008 (16 years ago)
RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Southern Baptist missionaries and local Baptists in Zimbabwe are appealing for prayer amid mounting tensions as the country's electoral commission delays release of March 29 election results.
Many of the country's residents are nervous and angry about the delayed outcome as the country's economy spirals out of control. There also have been reports of militants raiding white-owned farms in rural areas.
"There is an uneasy calm and a growing sense of frustration ... as we await news of the outcome of elections," said one International Mission Board missionary in the capital city of Harare.
"The people's lack of access to media that they consider reliable is keeping [them] on a knife's edge emotionally."
Meanwhile, people struggle to get by as living conditions worsen.
"Once some of the best in Africa, the roads are beginning to wear thin," the missionary said. "Some high-density areas do without water for weeks on end."
As inflation continues to swell, people are struggling to have even simple necessities. Buying a loaf of bread, a bottle of milk or a repair part from the hardware store has become nearly impossible in some places. Read More
