author/source:News24 (SA)
published:Sun 22-Aug-2004
posted on this site:Sun 22-Aug-2004

Article Type : News

The new Roman Catholic Archbishop of Harare publicly criticized the Zimbabwean government's poor human rights record on Saturday, drawing a scathing attack from President Robert Mugabe

Harare, Zimbabwe - The new Roman Catholic Archbishop of Harare publicly criticized the Zimbabwean government's poor human rights record on Saturday, drawing a scathing attack from President Robert Mugabe. Archbishop Robert Ndlovu told a crowd of some 6 000 people, including Mugabe, who turned out for his inauguration that free expression, association and assembly were rights the church supported. Zimbabwe has been wracked by political violence and economic turmoil in recent years as Mugabe's government has seized thousands of white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks. Seeking to crack down on dissent, the government has arrested opposition leaders, trade unionists and independent journalists. "The role of a bishop and of the church in general is to stand up for human dignity, and from human dignity flow human rights," said Ndlovu, who was formerly the Bishop of Hwange, a city in northwestern Zimbabwe where up to 20 000 suspected opposition supporters were killed by Mugabe's security forces in the 1980s.

After Ndlovu finished speaking, Mugabe made an impromptu speech, attacking unnamed religious leaders who "joined hands with erstwhile colonial masters to peddle lies about the state of affairs and demonize Zimbabwe". Mugabe often accuses critics of being league with Zimbabwe's former coloniser, Britain, and other Western nations. Before leaving, Mugabe commended the Catholic church for giving him his early education as a mission teacher and took communion with his wife. Ndlovu's appointment last month drew sharp criticism from Zimbabwe's state-controlled media, which said that one of several known pro-Mugabe clerics from Mugabe's majority Shona tribe should have been made Harare archbishop. Ndlovu is from the minority Ndebele tribe. On Friday, Mugabe's government published plans for new restrictive legislation banning foreign human rights group and making all private relief work subject to stringent state controls. Churches will require approval to undertake any work beyond their own registered members, if the proposed legislation passes, as expected. Mugabe, who claimed disputed parliamentary and presidential election victories in June 2000 and March 2002, says foreign-inspired organisations are undermining the country's sovereignty and promoting unrest.

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Mugabe slams clerics
News24 (SA) Sun 22-Aug-2004

author/source:Zimbabwe Standard
published:Sun 22-Aug-2004
posted on this site:Sun 22-Aug-2004
Article Type : News
Waited
an hour
in vain

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=9957

By Foster Dongozi

President Robert Mugabe should play a
leading role in stopping the political
violence perpetrated by Zanu PF
supporters against their perceived political
opponents in Zimbabwe, the Archbishop
of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, said in Harare
yesterday. He was speaking in an interview
after the installation of the new Harare
Archbishop, Robert Christopher Ndlovu.
President Mugabe and the First Lady,
Grace, were among thousands of Harare
residents who thronged the City Sports
Centre to witness the installation of
Archbishop Ndlovu. President Mugabe is a
devout Roman Catholic. Speaking at the
end of the installation, Mugabe urged the
church to engage the government in
dialogue, especially on issues pertaining to
human rights and basic freedoms. He told
thousands of Roman Catholics, who had
converged on the City Sports Centre to
witness the installation that he recently
sought a meeting with Archbishop Ncube
and that he waited for an hour in vain but
the Bulawayo Archbishop did not turn up.
However, Archbishop Ncube fired back,
saying he had only been informed of the
proposed meeting when it was too late. ?I
had already made prior arrangements to
attend to other issues and I could not just
change my plans for Mugabe.?

Archbishop Ncube said meetings between
the president and him would not solve
anything unless the President used his
position as Head of State and First
Secretary and President of Zanu PF to end
political violence. ?In fact, four Catholic
bishops met Mugabe in October last year,
expressing their concern about violence
but nothing came out of that meeting. The
problem with Mugabe is that he can be a
very charming and sweet person when you
discuss some of these problems and you
would think that he also has similar
concerns. The problem is that he never
seems to tell his supporters to stop beating
up people they think are their rivals and
this means people will continue to be
beaten and killed in politically-motivated
violence.?

The new Archbishop, Robert
Christopher Ndlovu, the former bishop of
Hwange was born in Lupane, in 1955 and
attended Tshongogwe primary School. He
attended Dete Marist Brothers for his
secondary education before proceeding to
study theology and philosophy at
Chishawasha Seminary. He attained a
Masters in Biblical Theology at the
Catholic University in Nairobi, Kenya,
before being appointed Archbishop of
Harare by Pope John Paul II on 21 May
this year. In his acceptance speech,
Archbishop Ndlovu praised his
predecessor, the late Archbishop Patrick
Chakaipa. ?I feel humbled by the great
missionary work done by my predecessor. I
ask for your prayers that God can help us
carry the heavy loads together and that he
will guide His people though difficult
times,? said the new Archbishop.

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