Actual text of the Zimbabwe letter - and I'll retract my last statement until further info

It was reported in an AP article that 14 Anglican bishops had issued a statement in support of Robert Mugabe. I said that I was going to have to take the side of the Roman Church against the Anglican Church in Central Africa. I'm going to have to take that back until I get further info. Below is the actual statement. As I said in my Easter reflection, two Church of England bishops were willing to attack Canon Jeffrey John when he criticized the docrtine of penal substition, without even reading what he wrote. We all must be careful not to do that.

The demands the bishops make here are not unreasonable. As far as I can tell, although tougher sanctions were being considered, American sanctions have so far only frozen the foreign assets of Zimbabwean officials and imposed travel restrictions on them. Now, this seems reasonable, but much of the business community in Zimbabwe may be controlled by Mugabe's cronies, who are the officials with the foreign bank accounts. Freezing his cronies' assets may have stopped the influx of foreign capital that Zimbabwe needs for development.

One of the named bishops is our old friend, Nolbert Kunonga, the crook in the purple shirt. The unscrupulous, like Kunonga, will spin this statement however they want. Certainly, the Anglican bishops should be actively opposing Mugabe's tyranny. However, here they request for Western nations to cease sanctions that are causing grievous harm to ordinary Zimbabweans, and they say that they will minister to those our sanctions have hurt. Perhaps that's a reasonable request. We imposed sanctions on Iraq after the Gulf War, but they did nothing to harm Saddam and they may very well have caused terrible harm to Iraqi citizens, especially children.





We the Bishops of the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa, comprising Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, “called to share in Jesus’ work of sanctifying and shepherding his people and of speaking in God’s name[1]”. As shepherds of our people and out of compassion, feel the need to offer support to our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe going through unprecedented levels of suffering.

[1] An Anglican Prayer Book, , London: Collins Publishers, 1989, p597


Issues and Concerns

We the Bishops are concerned and pained at the distressing occurrences that have been taking place in Zimbabwe. The deteriorating economy has rendered the ordinary Zimbabwean unable to make ends meet. This we note has been exacerbated by the economic sanctions imposed by the Western countries. These so called targeted sanctions aimed at the leadership of the country of Zimbabwe in reality have affected the poor Zimbabweans who have born the brunt of the sanctions. The result of which has been the displacement of thousands of Zimbabweans roaming the cities and rural areas of our region making it imperative that the Zimbabwean crisis be looked at as a regional crisis. As a church, the degrading environs that the Zimbabweans find themselves in as they seek survival both in Zimbabwe and the region, pose serious pastoral challenges to us as a church.

We therefore call upon the Western countries to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. We further call upon the British and American governments to honour their obligation of paying compensation to the white farmers.

We call upon the government of Zimbabwe to provide a framework for peace by creating a conducive environment for dialogue and tolerance.

As Bishops we denounce all forms of violence perpetrated by whatever source as a means of resolving conflict. As this is a degradation of those created in the image of God. We want to make it unequivocally clear to all of our people, that we do not condone what is happening in Zimbabwe.

We call upon the civil society in Zimbabwe to articulate and promote the practice and respect of human dignity by all social and political ways in the building of a culture of governance that respects the sanctity of life. So called targeted sanctions aimed at the leadership of the country of Zimbabwe in reality have affected the poor Zimbabweans who have born the brunt of the sanctions. The result of which has Furthermore, we urge the church in Zimbabwe to offer an effective pastoral ministry to the downtrodden, to rebuke and warn the nation especially those in positions of authority through a prophetic ministry by calling upon the nation to repentance and renewed relationship with God and our neighbours. Finally, in the wake of our Easter celebrations of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ we pray that the spirit of the Resurrection be shed in the hearts Zimbabweans to bring hope and renewed faith for a peaceful, just and prosperous Zimbabwe.

Issued by the Bishops of the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa

1. The Most Rev. Bernard Amos Malango – Archbishop of Central Africa and Bishop of Upper Shire
2. The Right Rev. Christopher J Boyle - Bishop of Northern Malawi
3. The Right Rev. Albert Chama - Bishop of Northern Zambia
4. The Right Rev. Elson Jakazi – Bishop of Manicaland
5. The Right Rev. Derek Kamukwamba- Bishop of Central Zambia
6. The Right Rev. Nolbert Kunonga - Bishop of Harare
1. The Right Rev. William Muchombo- Bishop of Eastern Zambia
2. The Right Rev. Ishmael Mukuwanda- Bishop of Central Zimbabwe
3. The Right Rev. Robert Mumbi – Bishop of Luapula
4. The Right Rev. Trevor Mwamba Bishop of Botswana
5. The Right Rev. David Njovu- Bishop of Lusaka6.
6. The Right Rev. Wilson Sitshebo - Bishop Matabeleland
7. The Right Rev. Godfrey Tawonezvi - Bishop of Masvingo
8. The Right Rev. James Tengatenga - Bishop of Southern Malawi
9. The Rev. Canon Michael Mkoko - Vicar General of the Diocese of Lake Malawi