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Zimbabwe's outspoken Roman Catholic bishop continues criticism of Mugabe
Episcopal News Service
Issue:
Section:
2003-151E
Posted: Wednesday, June 25, 2003
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Zimbabwe's outspoken Roman Catholic bishop insists he will continue to speak out on violations of human rights, denying allegations that he intends to found a new political party to topple President Robert Mugabe.
'I am not a politician but a churchman and a defender of human rights,' said Archbishop Pius Ncube, responding to government-owned newspaper reports that he had been holding clandestine meetings with members of the political opposition. He has been publicly castigated by Mugabe and subjected to harassment by state security agents.
Warned not to discuss politics at church meetings, Ncube said 'we cannot avoid addressing political issues affecting the people of Zimbabwe. Politics is about food, shelter, school fees for your children and so on.' He urges congregations to pray that the nation's leaders would 'uphold human rights and be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise Zimbabwe will perish.'
He insisted that he would not be intimidated into silence while human rights violations persisted. 'I shall not be quiet when my people are suffering,' Ncube said. 'There is a lot of suffering here, and we need to change this. Our children are forced to go for military training where our daughters are sometimes raped and you call this normal?'
Military helicopters hovered over the cathedral during the service, attended by human rights activists, opposition members of Parliament, and members of various Christian denominations.
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| © 2004, The Episcopal Church, USA. Episcopal News Service content may be reprinted without permission as long as credit is given to ENS. |
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