JOHANNESBURG - A Southern African church leader expressed concern Sunday that both those for and against the government were being drawn into worsening violence in Zimbabwe ahead of march presidential elections.

"From what I was told it has deteriorated to a point where everybody is involved in this violence," said Mvume Dandala, the presiding bishop of the Methodist church in Southern Africa, after returning from a trip to Zimbabwe where he was briefed by church leaders, AFP reported.

He added: "There is no doubt in their minds that ZANU-PF (the ruling Zimbabwe African national union-patriotic front) and those who are in power at the moment seem to be more involved."

Speaking on public television Sabc, Dandala said it was crucial that the elections be made free and fair.

But he warned: "From what the churches have told me, there's hardly an option."

Dandala said the Zimbabwean churches had been talking to both the government and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on how to secure democratic elections.

They had emphasized the need for effective monitoring, he said.

Last Monday, European Union (EU) foreign ministers formally warned Zimbabwe they would impose targeted sanctions against President Robert Mugabe's regime from Sunday unless it agreed to allow EU observers and journalists access to the elections and take steps toward ensuring they were democratic.