Mugabe Warns Catholic Bishops
The President of Zimbabwe Lashes Out Against Detractors
Religious leaders in Zimbabwe have become more critical of Robert Mugabe, culminating in an open letter written to the president over Easter. But Mugabe now fires back.
President Robert Mugabe warned the clergy in Zimbabwe to be careful of their comments regarding his leadership. Over Easter, outspoken Roman Catholic bishops published a letter alerting their leader to a domestic anger that "is now erupting into open revolt" and will manifest itself in uprising unless free elections are held. Mugabe, a fellow Catholic, reacted by directing warnings of his own toward the most vocal within the church.
The letter outlined the suffering of Zimbabweans and accused the ruling elite of corruption and abuse of power. "In order to avoid further bloodshed," it said, "and avert a mass uprising, the nation needs a new people-driven constitution that will guide a democratic leadership chosen in free and fair elections."
Responding to the remarks, Mugabe told the Herald newspaper that "once [the bishops] turn political, we regard them as no longer spiritual and our relations with them would be conducted as if we are dealing with political entities and this is quite a dangerous path they have chosen for themselves." Through the state media, he cautioned that the Catholic bishops are on a "dangerous path."
The Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube , has been particularly vociferous in his criticism of Mugabe. Earlier this year, he urged Zimbabweans to take to the streets and demand that Mugabe resign as president. Ncube himself declared that he was willing to face "blazing guns" if required.
The Mugabe regime has been known to intimidate detractors by use of force. In March, police broke up an opposition prayer meeting during which two people were killed. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was hospitalized after incurring a huge gash to his head while trying to attend the event. Mugabe said dissenters "deserved" the assault from authorities because they ignored police commands forbidding the meeting. Despite the fact that the opposition has recently been jailed and tortured, Archbishop Ncube insists that politicians opposed to the president must do more.
"As far as I'm concerned he [President Mugabe] must go," Ncube said.
Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe for 27 years. Once a hero of Zimbabwe's struggle for independence, Mugabe has become infamously renown as the dictator of one of the world's "Least Livable Nations," according to the United Nations' 2006 Human Development Report. 80% of the country is unemployed, 4 out of 5 people live below the poverty line, and inflation, at 2,200%, is by far the worst in the world.
