Roman Catholic bishops in Zimbabwe have condemned a resurgence of political violence linked to a series of planned by-elections.
In a pastoral letter, the bishops said the polls had been wantonly called.
They said it seemed the voices of voters could be easily ignored.
The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has complained that the recall elections are part of a campaign by the ruling Zanu-PF party to secure a two-thirds majority in parliament.
It fell short of the target during a general election in August.