Zimbabwe summons Vatican envoy to explain Catholic bishops’ criticism
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Zimbabwe’s government has sought a meeting with the Vatican representative to understand whether Catholic bishops who accused it of human rights abuses and cracking down on critics were speaking on behalf of the Holy See.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi on Wednesday described a pastoral letter written by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, an organisation that represents all Catholics in Zimbabwe, last weekend as “inappropriately prescriptive and grossly disrespectful”.
The bishops' strongly worded letter said the country has a multilayered crisis, including economic collapse, deepening poverty, corruption and human rights abuses.
Inflation running at more than 800% is the clearest sign of the worst economic crisis in more than a decade and has evoked memories of hyperinflation under former president Robert Mugabe, whose 37-year rule was ended by an army coup in 2017.
Ziyambi said Harare authorities took offence at the bishops’ description of the government, headed by Mugabe’s replacement, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as lacking the knowledge, skill or emotional stability to resolve Zimbabwe’s political and economic problems.
“The statement constitutes an outright insult on the person of President ED Mnangagwa and his entire government, and is couched in language decidedly unbecoming of an institution such as the Catholic Church,” Ziyambi said.
“Government is compelled to engage the Vatican to ascertain whether such statements reflect the official attitude of the Holy See towards Zimbabwe’s leadership or whether these are merely the views of the various individuals concerned.”
Foreign minister Sibusiso Moyo was to meet with the local Vatican representative, Ziyambi said. He denied there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe and said it is all social media hype.
Several activists have been arrested, abducted or tortured for speaking out against the government and critics accuse Mnangagwa of using the Covid-19 pandemic to stifle dissent.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi on Wednesday described a pastoral letter written by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, an organisation that represents all Catholics in Zimbabwe, last weekend as “inappropriately prescriptive and grossly disrespectful”.
The bishops' strongly worded letter said the country has a multilayered crisis, including economic collapse, deepening poverty, corruption and human rights abuses.
Inflation running at more than 800% is the clearest sign of the worst economic crisis in more than a decade and has evoked memories of hyperinflation under former president Robert Mugabe, whose 37-year rule was ended by an army coup in 2017.
Ziyambi said Harare authorities took offence at the bishops’ description of the government, headed by Mugabe’s replacement, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as lacking the knowledge, skill or emotional stability to resolve Zimbabwe’s political and economic problems.
“The statement constitutes an outright insult on the person of President ED Mnangagwa and his entire government, and is couched in language decidedly unbecoming of an institution such as the Catholic Church,” Ziyambi said.
“Government is compelled to engage the Vatican to ascertain whether such statements reflect the official attitude of the Holy See towards Zimbabwe’s leadership or whether these are merely the views of the various individuals concerned.”
Foreign minister Sibusiso Moyo was to meet with the local Vatican representative, Ziyambi said. He denied there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe and said it is all social media hype.
Several activists have been arrested, abducted or tortured for speaking out against the government and critics accuse Mnangagwa of using the Covid-19 pandemic to stifle dissent.
