From the perspective of maternal grandson to one of the church elders who were very close to Nehemiah Mutendis late father, Bishop Samuel Mutendi (or Samere as he is popularly known in my home village), Ive seen it fit to share my views on the religio-political development as it unfolded at Mbungo during Easter.
At the gracious invitation of Bishop Mutendi to open new church facilities at Mbungo, just a few kilometres east of Masvingo, Mugabe blundered again as he did recently following the Livingstone summit. I sympathise with VP Joice Mujuru as she may be left with no option but to apologise to the Catholic Church.
True to form, the president manipulated the religious occasion for political mileage. Capitalising on the invitation was not at all a surprise as he has done so before when invited to other denominations such as Johanne Masove and Madzibaba Nziras sects. The most unfortunate part was his attack of the church that fed and educated him.
He took the unusual step of denigrating not only his church but any other perceived as Western-controlled or non-indigenous. His uncle, the late Bishop Patrick Chakaipa who presided over his controversial marriage to Grace Marufu, must have turned in his grave to hear such anti-Catholic vitriol.
In an attempt to rally support from Bishop Mutendi and his mainly rural followers, the president made some generous pledge of material support to the ZCC. While it is not wrong for anybody to support churches, it is totally unacceptable and immoral to do so with ulterior motives. Those who know Bishop Mutendi as I do, feel they have an obligation to advise him that he must be extremely circumspect as he is now about to tread on very slippery ground.
Zanu (PF), desperate as it is, will use anybody willing to be bribed with a few pieces of silver or a few acres of land. There are many influential people in our society both within and without the religious circles who were offered land and other inducements in a bid to buy their loyalty or silence. Those who were quick to see through the motive turned down such offers.
The ambitious, greedy or gullible, blindly accepted what they thought were gifts. Today, some of them are living in abject poverty, languishing in prison or simply neglected after they failed or refused to toe the party line. Zanu (PF) generosity is never for free.
Those who are close to the ZCC through fellowship, family relationships, geography or history, will remember that it is not too far from Mbungo where Zanu (PF) caused untold suffering, persecution, torture, murder and arson to the people of Zaka and Bikita during the 2008 election.
In Jerera, some MDC activists were burnt beyond recognition while many people were tortured. Many of those who listened to Mugabe speak at Mbungo have relatives or neighbours that were victimised. One wonders what was going on in their minds while he was speaking, as the bishop nodded in agreement.
Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, like many Catholic bishops in Zimbabwe, will go down in history as a man of God who remained consistent, unwavering, and fearless in speaking out against injustice, human rights abuses and inequality.
Bishop Kunonga, Madzibaba Nzira and many other spiritual leaders have become willing tools of oppression, violence and injustice. Some are busy joining the queue disguised as anti-sanctions crusaders. Let Bishop Mutendi derive some useful lessons from this.
I dont know of many churches in Zimbabwe that contributed so immensely to the liberation struggle as the Catholic Church did, despite the fact that most of the priests and nuns then were European. A good number were killed, persecuted or deported. If the so-called Western-controlled churches can build hospitals and schools as well as sink boreholes across the length and breadth of our country and help the poor, then let us have more of those! – chambokom@gmail.com
Post published in: News