An open letter to Pope Francis; kindly talk to Mugabe - Zimbabweans have suffered enough

27 September 2015
 
His Holiness, Pope Francis
 
Apostolic Palace
Vatican City, 00120
Vatican.
 
Most Holy Father

Ref; Kindly talk to President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Zimbabweans have suffered enough.
 
Your Holiness, I greet you in the name of our lord Jesus Christ. My name is Nkosilathi Emmanuel Moyo (28) am a human rights defender and democracy activist based in the small mining town of Kwekwe which is located at the centre of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Most Holy Father, it was my desire to fly to the Vatican and present my case to you in person but however am not worthy to be in your presence. Am nothing but just a poor young man, walking in tattered clothes in the dusty streets of Kwekwe but with a bleeding heart for change and recourse for millions of innocent civilians suffering in Zimbabwe.

1) Your Holiness, I write to you on behalf of more than thirteen million civilians in Zimbabwe who are suffering because of the political

instability in our country. Most of them can not come out in open because of fear of victimization but am sure they agree with me on this issue which I would like to bring to your attention.

2) Most Holy Father, for the past thirty five years Zimbabwe has been under the leadership of President Robert Gabriel Mugabe (91) and the ZANU PF government. President Mugabe is a self-confessed ‘devout catholic' who was born and grew up in the Catholic Church, mentored by an Irish Priest Father Jerome O'Hea. After acquiring education with the support of the Roman Catholic Church he then joined the liberation struggle and became one of the freedom fighters who liberated Zimbabwe from the colonial adminstration.

3) I have seen it proper to write to you with hope and trust that the respect which President Mugabe has for the Catholic Church, he might possibly listen to you. The international community. Africa regional leaders and other key stakeholders (broader civil society) not forgetting the Zimbabwean mass itself; we have all failed to convince him to step down so that Zimbabwe can at least move forward. Millions of innocent civilians are suffering in abject poverty in Zimbabwe because of government's failure to take the country forward, ill policies which have destroyed our economy, human rights violations and serious crimes against humanity. Thousands have been killed for their dissenting voices for the past three and half decades, forced disappearances, assassinations and butchering of defenceless civilians who are misinterpreted or perceived to be politically active against President Mugabe's government. -All this is being done by a leader who calls himself a ‘devout Catholic'. Most Holy Father, this makes me cry. Kindly talk to President Mugabe, for the sake of millions of innocent civilians suffering in Zimbabwe. -We now have hundreds if not thousands of orphans, widows and widowers who lost their loved ones not because of any disease or what but they were killed simply because they were perceived to be anti-Mugabe in mind. Your Holiness, don't forget them in your prayers.

4) Your Holiness, may you kindly ask President Robert Gabriel Mugabe to step down and allow Zimbabwe to move forward. Apart from human rights violations, crimes against humanity and the economic meltdown mentioned above, his age is no longer allowing him to continue holding such a higher office. He is now 91 years of age and no longer capable to hold such a political public office. He once fell at the airport because he can't even walk properly anymore, few weeks ago he read a wrong speech in parliament and spent thirty minutes reading it down without even noticing that he was reading a wrong speech. His advanced age is no longer allowing him to perform his duties well as a head of state. The best thing he can do is to step down and give a chance to other youthful leaders who still have the energy to take this country forward. Many have advised him to step down but he does not listen to anyone leaving me with no option other than asking you to (for our sake) interfere and talk to President Mugabe, we (Zimbabweans) have suffered enough.

5) Most Holy Father I will conclude this letter by asking you to one day visit Zimbabwe. I know you have a very busy schedule but we need your blessing. Our land has been defiled by the blood of innocent civilians mercilessly butchered by President Mugabe's adminstration ie Gukurahundi genocide, 2000 bloody Land Reform which left hundreds of white Zimbabweans and their workers dead, 2008 post-election violence to mention just a few. Our country needs cleansing, your visitation and your blessing is needed on our land.

Thank you very much for taking time from your busy schedule to read this long letter. I hope and trust that for the sake of millions of Zimbabweans you can do us the favour of talking to President Mugabe and kindly ask him to step down and redeem our country from the crisis we are in.

With every good wish to Your Holiness

Iam, Sincerely Yours

Nkosilathi Emmanuel Moyo Snr Human Rights Defender and Democracy Activist Kwekwe Republic of Zimbabwe. www.nkosilathiemmanuelmoyo.org