Sanctions against Mugabe Government “not in our name” – Central African Bishops
Not in our name say Anglicans
BY TREVOR GRUNDY
CANTERBURY
British Anglicans are almost as stunned as their counterparts in Zimbabwe that the Archbishop of Canterbury’s attempts to knock sense into their heads of church leaders in Harare’s much-troubled province have come to naught.
Following a meeting of the Central African Episcopal Synod during the week of ‘celebrations’ marking Zimbabwe’s 27th anniversary of Independence, 14 Anglican bishops issued a message that was broadly supportive of the Mugabe government, sharply contrasting with an earlier call by Roman Catholic leaders for the disgraced 83- year old head of state to step down.
“So called targeted sanctions aimed at the leadership of the country have affected the poor Zimbabweans who have borne the brunt of sanctions, “the bishops said after their meeting.
Prominent among the signatories was the Bishop of Harare, the Rt Revd Nolbert Kunonga who is praised by ZANU (PF) as a “model Christian” and a man who puts nation before domination by clerics from the Western world.
Last month, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, met Bishop Kunonga along with the Archbishop of Central Africa, the Most Revd Bernard Malango who is a friend of President Mugabe. No details of the meeting emerged.
President Mugabe is most anxious to neutralize the Christian church and give the world the impression it sides with him against his critics. On March 11 police crushed a prayer meeting that led to world press publicity against the entrenched Mugabe regime. Later Catholics issued a pastoral statement that infuriated Mugabe. Zanu (PF) ’spin doctors’ assert that “rebel” Catholics are led by the Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube who (they claim) is in the pay of Prime Minister Tony Blair and the British Government.
Reacting to the Anglican message, Eddie Cross of the MDC said that Zimbabwean Anglicans are in a difficult position. “Perhaps they should withdraw from all congregations that are led by Bishop Nolbert,” he suggested. “Or join a church that is not so myopic in its views.”
Meantime, Anglicans in the UK are waiting to hear from the Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Revd Nicholas Baines. He flew to Harare on Easter Tuesday and is expected to inform Lambeth Palace about the situation in Zimbabwe.
Sources told The Zimbabwean that Bishop Nick was anxious not to meet Bishop Nolbert who most Anglicans say has disgraced the 75 million strong worldwide community. “The Zimbabweans have been very clear that we should visit them at their points of weakness and not just wait until everything is OK,” he said before his departure.
[Read here->http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/viewinfo.cfm?id=4164]
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