adminThe Herald, 22 March 1987
THE Church should not be afraid to criticise the Government where it sees wrong, the Deputy Prime Minister, Cde Simon Muzenda, said yesterday.
Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe, he said he saw the Church as a partner of the Government. He also called upon the Catholic Church to start thinking about getting into politics.
“The Government takes the Church as a partner. Do not be afraid to tell us where we are or have gone wrong if you think we are messing the people.
“We would also want to see your church being involved in politics,” he said. He also assured the Church that the Government philosophy of socialism was not in conflict with the role of the church in Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabwe is transforming and this transformation is all embracing to the Government, to the people and the Church for the good of the country. The Government and the Church are all concerned with the welfare of the people. The Government expects maximum co-operation from the Church as it transverses the socialist path,” he said. The role of the Church, he said was to free people from the slavery of sin, ignorance, hunger, ill education, domination by colonialism and other racial and ethnic prejudices.
“These tasks are expected to be done by both the Church in alliance with the socialist Government hence the liberation struggle which was fought by the guerrillas should have been fought by the Church directly, to free the oppressed people,” he said.
Lessons for today
The relationship between the Church and State is as old as colonialism itself because the British Empire ensured that missionaries were part of the administrative team that colonised Zimbabwe. While the Church’s relationship with politics might not be that obvious, the truth is that a majority of politicians and the people they lead, are members of diverse churches.
The Church has been active in providing social services like schools, vocational training centres, hospitals and orphanages apart from performing its core mandate of preaching the Gospel.
Zimbabwe’s Constitution allows for freedom of religion, and Christianity constitutes the majority. The 2018 harmonised elections saw some political parties declaring their faith and also stating that despite the existence of other religions, they would turn Zimbabwe into a Christian nation.
Instead of the Church and Government being intolerant of each other, thereby polarising the people, there is need for the two to serve their constituents in unity. If the Church wishes to join politics it must do so openly, and not use the human rights and activism back doors. After all, the good life and social justice they for people, are spelt out in the Bible.
The Church should also not think that it has an automatic oversight role over Government, for this makes it look like an opposition political party. Their business is to unite the people with the Government, instead of causing acrimony.
While there is the Constitution, the Church is guided by Biblical principles that says all Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, and this must be done in love. The same Bible says everyone “must submit himself to the governing authorities”, and that the Church has the responsibility to pray for those in authority, so that people enjoy peace and tranquillity.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter