Hue and cry over moral decay

Stephen Mpofu
There is something about which a government, any government anywhere for that matter, will shout itself hoarse but still not come to grips with it.

It is the governance of a country’s population at  large.

Government officials might mount a rhetorical blitz, rending the air, but will not achieve much, if anything at all on the ground.

Only soldiers in the army of God, the Church, appear properly disposed to instil the fear of the wrath of the Almighty among the wayward in order to direct them into a path of righteous living.

Religiously unorthodox practices trending in Bulawayo have touched off a hue and cry among men of the cloth who say the morals of people, old and young, in the City of Kings and Queens are under peril, thanks to brothels mushrooming in various suburbs.

Twenty pastors from various church denominations met in the city on Tuesday and decried an increase in brothels in some of the city’s suburbs, blaming these on more night clubs being opened, and saying young people were being exposed to prostitution and drugs as a result.

Representing various Christian denominations, including the  Brethren in Christ Church, Salvation Army and Assemblies of God, the pastors who met with the Member of Parliament for Pelandaba-Mpopoma, Cde  Joseph Tshuma,  resolved to block the opening of another night club at Goveya in Matshobana suburb.

The pastors complained that Mpopoma was already home to beer halls, night clubs and shebeens which, they said, was too much for a small community.

A rise in the number of night clubs in suburban areas had seen an increase in prostitution, said the pastors.

Increases in nightclubs, beer halls, brothels and prostitution should be viewed as explicit symptoms of an economy deep in the doldrums as a result of illegal, Western sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe to try exact regime change as punishment for the Government’s land reform programme.

Jobs have shrunk; money has become scarce with food on the dinner table a struggle for many families due to the economic embargo aggravated by the El-Nino induced drought which slashed food production across the country.

But a country-wide survey might show that challenges complained of by the priests are not unique to Bulawayo.

Which suggests that the erosion of morals might be wide spread as desperate people resort to practices  totally unZimbabwean and unAfrican to try to make ends meet.

Prostitution and drugs are ruinous not only to moral uprightness but also to the health of those who indulge in those dysfunctional practices, especially at a young age.

Drugs, prostitution and drunkenness at best compromise, and at worst jeopadise, the proper socialisation of children in the family as responsible future citizens.

Governments may introduce laws affecting various aspects of business practices, but the control of people’s morals is beyond governmental reach.

For instance, there is no law that punishes a person for being an alcoholic or for taking drugs or indulging in illicit sexual activity which renders governments helpless to do anything about such moral depravities among others.

Yet the church may disfellowship congregants or members whose conduct is deemed likely to bring  the church’s image into disrepute.

Contextually, therefore, the Church will weigh in on matters of the moral uprightness of Zimbabweans as demonstrated by  the priests in Bulawayo,  and that  should be welcomed as an eloquent and timely voice in the wilderness for people’s salvation from the clutches of the devil and his demons  whose purpose is to steal people’s moral uprightness,  kill them here on earth and to destroy  their eternal life.

This pen believes the time is long, long overdue for the Church of God  in Zimbabwe to positively, forcefully and eloquently demonstrate its outreach in all necessary aspects of  Zimbabwean life as humanity enters end times.

That way, the Church will adequately prepare our nation for the return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

As things appear right now, given the disquiet expressed by the priests in Bulawayo, prostitutes and drug addicts should never, ever expect to sing Hosanna dancing round and round the throne of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

In any case, can Zimbabwe hope successfully to move into a brave new world carrying on its back heavy load drunkards, prostitutes and drug addicts?