Chronicle Editor
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
THE church in Zimbabwe should be a pillar through which moral values among the youths should be built and remain steadfast in praying for the eradication of the drug and substance scourge that the society is grappling with, Vice-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday.
Speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebrations for Roman Catholic Church priest, Father Charles Mafurutu (77), VP Chiwenga said the abuse of harmful substances was threatening to ruin the future of a generation of Zimbabweans.
Father Mafurutu, who serves at St Mary’s Basilica in Bulawayo, also works with the Zimbabwe National Army, Zimbabwe Republic Police, and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services as a priest providing counselling and spiritual guidance.
In his speech, VP Chiwenga said the church’s prayers were needed to fortify the country as it tackles drug and substance abuse.
“Let me urge the Church to continue praying for our great nation and double your efforts in our collective fight against drug and substance abuse. The scourge is threatening to wipe out the future generation,” he said.
VP Chiwenga said the Government was proud of the good relations it shared with the church.
“As a country, we continue to cherish the symbiotic relationship between Government and the church in our drive to uplift the lives of our people. This is underpinned by the President, His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s mantra, ‘Nyika inovakwa, igotongwa, ichinamatirwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, lithandazelwe ngabaninilo’.
“The Government adopted the whole of the economy and society approach to accelerate inclusive socio-economic development. In the same vein, His Excellency the President and Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has called for the whole of Southern Africa to embrace innovation to accelerate industrialisation and uplift the livelihoods of our people, leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.
VP Chiwenga said Father Mafurutu’s close ties with the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) marked him out not only as a man of the cloth, but a patriot who understood the aspirations of the people he served.
Father Mafurutu was ordained as a priest at St Pius Parish in Bulawayo in 1974 and briefly served at St Pius Parish. In 1975 he was transferred to Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Gwanda where he served for six months.
“Father Mafurutu as a patriot became a key ally of the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) operatives in Lupane and Gwayi where he worked as a Parish Priest from 1977 to 1981. He played a pivotal role in assisting injured freedom fighters, providing medication, food, and vital information for prosecuting the armed liberation struggle.
“He would also assist fighters in Tsholotsho and surrounding areas during the same period of the armed struggle against colonial rule. At Independence, Father Mafurutu was deployed to Bulawayo where he continues to serve the Roman Catholic Church at St Mary’s Basilica,” he said.
VP Chiwenga highlighted the fact that even Father Mafurutu was subject to racial discrimination during colonialism even though he was serving a religious institution.
“He briefly served at St Pius Parish and in January 1975 the jubilarian was transferred to Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Gwanda where he served for six months. It was at this station where Father Mafurutu bore the brunt of racial discrimination as he was not allowed to stay with European priests at the parish residency. The construction of a separate residence for Father Charles ignited tensions within the community and sparked a wide conflict that would eventually reach the office of the then Prime Minister of Rhodesia, Ian Douglas Smith. This controversy led him to be transferred to St Luke’s Mission in Lupane, where he served as a priest from 1975 to 1977. This was during the peak of our Liberation Struggle and Father Mafurutu found himself in the crossfire between Rhodesian forces and the freedom fighters,” he said.
In his speech, Father Mafurutu also gave special mention to ZPRA forces for nurturing him through the nascent stages of his journey in the priesthood.
“It was a very tough time as you can imagine. I was a Shona man from Bikita working in Matabeleland. It was a testing time. However, I must say thanks to the ZPRA forces. I loved them and they loved me. We worked together very well until we reached independence,” he said.
Father Mafurutu, who hails from a family of nine, did his primary education at Chitenderano Primary School and Silveira Mission in Bikita. He then proceeded to Empandeni Mission in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South Province for his secondary education.
On completion of his secondary school education, Father Mafurutu did his priestly formation at Chishawasha Regional Major Seminary.
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