Four global church organisations – the World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches and Methodist World Council – have joined in protesting against the “increasing use of force, violence and intimidation” being used against people protesting against corruption, the country’s economic woes and human rights abuses.
In a letter sent to the “churches and people of Zimbabwe”, the four bodies expressed concern over the “deteriorating conditions” in Zimbabwe where they said “approximately half of the entire population facing hunger, staggering unemployment rates, corruption and insecurity”. They said these problems had been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, seriously affecting “already fragile public health and education”.
“While we understand the gravity of the challenges posed by the pandemic, we also recognize that the root causes of corruption and the longstanding failure to protect human rights lie in failed governance structures,” the church organisations said.
“We condemn the increasing use of force, violence and intimidation against people protesting these failures, targeting particularly those deemed to oppose the current government. We are particularly concerned about the mistreatment of political activists and other advocates for human rights. We strongly condemn the sexual abuse and violence against women activists. We find the incarceration of journalists and political leaders unacceptable.”
PREVIOUSLY: Zimbabwe’s Catholic bishops accuse government of abuses
The letter, which was signed by Rev Prof Dr Ioan Sauca, interim general secretary of the WCC, Rev Dr Martin Junge, general secretary of the LWF, Rev Dr Chris Ferguson, general secretary of the WCRC and Bishop Ivan M Abrahams, general secretary, of the WMC, also said the writers had been encouraged by the ongoing ministry of churches in serving the most vulerable in Zimbabwe and called upon them to “keep remembering the ‘least of these’ even as you remain steadfast in your hope in Christ Jesus”.
