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Church
latest victim of Zimbabwean political cleansing
Margaret
Zondo, Africa Files
June 13, 2008
http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18249
When a public
prayer meeting is banned by police on the grounds that it's subversive,
you know something has gone badly awry. Violence and intimidation
have been going on since the elections at the end of March and show
no sign of tailing off. The Church leaders of the Evangelical Fellowship
of Zimbabwe (EFZ), the Zimbabwe
Catholic Bishops' Conference (ZCBC) and the Zimbabwe Council
of Churches (ZCC), expressed their deep concern over the deteriorating
political, security, economic and human rights situation in Zimbabwe
following the March 29, 2008 national elections.
Prior to this,
an article by Maria Mackay in Christianity Today dated October 31
2006, states that Churches in Zimbabwe asked the country for forgiveness
for their part in the current crisis, as they admitted that some
of their own leaders had been "accomplices in some of the evils
that have brought our nation to this condition."
Overwhelming evidence and eye witness reports from inside Zimbabwe
would suggest that parts of some churches are still part of a calculated
campaign by President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party to instill
fear in the voters with the hope of persuading them to vote for
Robert Mugabe in the June 27 2008 Presidential run-off.
Post-election violence
rages on and so far the opposition claims that over 60 of its members
mostly in the rural areas have been murdered, property destroyed
and survivors driven out of their homes. This is an effective strategy
by a desperate regime to influence the outcome of the June 27 2008
Presidential run-off pitting President Robert Mugabe against his
major rival and leader of the main opposition, the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirayi. President Mugabe himself
admitted on June 13, 2008 that he is urging the nation to vote for
him and that the people made a mistake by granting more votes on
march 29th to Morgan Tsvangirayi, leader of the opposition.
The American
Ambassador is quoted as saying the situation in Zimbabwe is like
a war zone and that his brief detention
by officials while he and other heads of diplomatic missions in
Zimbabwe were investigating reports of violence will not deter them
in letting the world know what Zimbabweans endure daily.
On the ground, some parts
of the church, and much church leadership are showing defiance and
resilience by remaining focused despite the hostile environment,
division and repress ion. Moral and other support from the churches'
regional and international partners has been overwhelming. It is
Sunday morning but some once vibrant churches are empty in Zimbabwe.
Instead, worshippers are resorting to home churches; and, as my
Mom described it, "We do not need to be in a church to offer
thanksgiving to God and to seek His spiritual guidance for our wounded
and broken country and souls. Governments come and go but the church
will always be there to offer sanctuary."
My Mom went on to explain
that home churches provide vital moral and material support and
act as a platform for sharing information about the many aspects
of life in Zimbabwe. In fact politics is very much on the agenda
when these worshippers meet. With the rampant food shortages though,
some worshippers may be reluctant to open their home to fellow worshippers
so everyone is required to contribute something for a meal according
to their means.
Although religious
gatherings are exempted from notification to the police in terms
of the Public
Order and Security Act (POSA), the church's leadership always
requests police escort for such activities as processions. Lately
these too have been banned with no reasons offered for barring them.
There may be many risks associated with normal worship patterns.
My aunt and other worshipers had the horrible experience of being
raided and harassed by government intelligence operatives two months
ago while attending a church service in Highfield, a historic township
where the political journey for Robert Mugabe began.
The Church like every
significant institution in Zimbabwe is split along political lines
and for those perceived to be supporters of the opposition woe on
them as they constantly face harassment and attacks from government
militias, the Central Intelligence operatives and members of ZANU
PF, the ruling party for the past 28 years. President Robert Mugabe's
government has systematically closed all forms of democratic space
including the freedom to worship. As the current Anglican Bishop
of Harare, Sebastian Bakare, rightly put it, 'What is happening
is a 'national scandal' adding, 'even Ian Smith (former Rhodesian
leader) allowed us to worship.'
The Anglican Church has
been the most affected by state-sponsored violence because of the
staunch allegiance of Nolbert Kunonga the ousted Bishop of Harare
to the ruling party and its land reform programme. As one pastor
put it "Kunonga is an instrument of Zanu PF representing political
cleansing in the church". Both Bakare and Kunonga have supporters
among Anglican church members. There are 69 clergy in the Anglican
Diocese of Harare and of these, 59 support Bishop Bakare while the
remaining 10 all ordained by former Bishop Kunonga have remained
defiant to church authority.
The St. Mary's Anglican
Cathedral in the heart of downtown Zimbabwe is locked and access
allowed only to parishioners linked to former bishop Kunonga. The
courts are complicit in allowing him to illegally hold onto church
property because he is a valued supporter of President Robert Mugabe
and instrumental in causing chaos in the house of the Lord. Like
his master, Nolbert Kunonga blames all the country's misfortunes
on Britain and the opposition. Bishop Bakare has been labeled a
member of the MDC working in cahoots with others to bring down the
government of Robert Mugabe.
Political thuggery has
not spared the church in Zimbabwe resulting in a traumatized flock
afraid to proclaim its faith openly while simultaneously offering
pastoral care to those infected and affected by HIV & AIDS,
food insecurity, an inflation rate of over 1 000 000 % and a governance
crisis.
Zimbabwe is a nation
of Christians, and this is demonstrated by the manner in which citizens
are peacefully creating ways to cope with the political, social
and economic crisis of huge magnitude and an environment that is
not conducive to the freedom of expression, association and speech.
Churches in Zimbabwe and other notable faith-based organizations
like Tearfund have been in the forefront of accompanying the traumatized
population. The Presbyterian Church in Canada through the Canadian
Food grains Bank has since 2006 contributed $55,000 towards food
security in Zimbabwe. United Church of Canada has channeled its
support through Christian Care.
Churches have until recently
acted as a sanctuary for the poor, widows and marginalized sections
of the population and a leader in delivering humanitarian support.
Silencing the church is an effective weapon intended to force the
besieged nation of Zimbabwe into submission. A case in point is
the fall from grace of the outspoken and strongest critic of President
Robert Mugabe, former Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, and a respected
cleric who was considered the face of justice and human rights in
the church. He confessed publicly and sought forgiveness on Easter
Sunday for having been involved in an adulterous relationship with
one of his parishioners.
It was the Zimbabwean
central intelligence or the "men in dark glasses" that
for months monitored his movements and shared some of the revealing
images on state television. Pius remains at the Vatican undergoing
counseling, but he can no longer comment on political events in
Zimbabwe or go back to his former position of Archbishop. He becomes
yet another casualty of a brutal regime which will stop at nothing
to silence critics.
This incident has had
a profound effect on the effectiveness of the church in Zimbabwe
and provided ZANU PF with ammunition to accelerate its crackdown
on any individual or a group of individuals perceived as standing
in its way and most importantly, divert attention from the really
urgent issues of human rights abuses, political cleansing and harassment
of those with divergent views and perceived enemies of the state.
In speaking to one young
member of the clergy it became apparent that the church in Zimbabwe
is highly divided along political lines. This comes in the wake
of allegations seven years ago of division along racial lines. The
same divide and rule tactic employed by ZANU PF and the Rhodesian
government of Ian Smith before them, has become an important part
of the Zimbabwean culture. A divided church is less able to strengthen
the spiritual well being of a nation. A strong comparison can be
drawn with the divisions in the church and in society during the
apartheid era in South Africa.
There still remain divergent
views on the role of the church in responding to the escalating
crisis in Zimbabwe although both Christians and non-Christians working
with victims of violence and state repression agree that it should
be providing leadership and guidance in the current crisis and that
it should have a key role in promoting national healing and reconciliation
in a post-Mugabe dispensation.
In short, the church
is perceived as a moral guardian of society. In a speech at a meeting
of the reformed church leaders from the Caribbean and North America
in February 2008 in Georgetown, Guyana, the World Alliance of Reformed
Churches (WARC) president, Clifton Kirkpatrick, said that the recent
crisis in Kenya should serve as a stimulus for churches to be prophetic
leaders in their communities. The church waited too long to be about
ministries of integrity, justice and reconciliation. He went on
to conclude that, if there is going to be a future for churches,
they must take up prophetic leadership.
Zimbabwe's churches are
no different from the Kenyan churches although an increase in political
repression has led them to join hands with other organizations championing
change and speak up. Prayers for Zimbabwe before, during and after
the March harmonized elections made their way to the Internet and
were circulated world-wide by concerned Zimbabweans and friends
of Zimbabwe calling for peace and divine intervention.
The opposition has also
used the church as a meeting place to escape from constant arrests
and intimidation, but with the current onslaught on the churches
this is no longer possible. A sizeable number of clergy have escaped
and sought asylum - mostly in England and South Africa - while those
that remain live in fear and cannot effectively lead their flock.
Conclusion
Although the church in Zimbabwe is at a crossroads and striving
to exercise its role as the prophetic voice, the determination of
Christians in Zimbabwe remains a source of hope and inspiration.
Whatever the outcome on June 27, history will not be complete without
mention of the trials and tribulations of the church in Zimbabwe.
The church in the global north is urged to continue accompanying
the church in Zimbabwe through this dark period in its history since
we are members of one body of Christ.
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