The earlier the Clergymen know their place, the better

A group of church leaders has been going around Sadc under the umbrella of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations, pushing for certain positions they want addressed in Zimbabwe.

They have been circulating a document titled: The role of the church in nation building in Zimbabwe. They have so far been granted audience in Mozambique.

There is nothing wrong with their attempt to seek to influence the political direction that this country is taking. They point out in their letter quite correctly that the church can deal with and teach general values and principles. "Thus the Church can teach about good governance and the duties of citizens without relating to partisan politics," they argue.

They also argue their right to go beyond "the exposition of general principles by getting into policy debates, policy monitoring and evaluation processes", a role which requires them to engage with the Government. And thirdly they argue that as the Church they should act as "a witness to the Christian values and principles".

We are not too sure to what extent they have been able to engage with their own government here in Zimbabwe before seeking the audience of foreign governments. We know from time to time they issue pastoral letters, which have had limited impact because of their lack of sincerity and honesty in dealing with the real issues in Zimbabwe.

This is exactly the criticism that the document they are circulating to Sadc countries attracts. Whilst they say their role is teaching about good governance "without relating to partisan politics", their position on issues affecting Zimbabwe is partisan and reads like the position paper of MDC-T.

We admit that these may be their own views, which tend to coincide with the views of MDC-T such as their call for security sector, media, electoral and legislative reforms. But by championing these views and completely ignoring the other issues raised by Zanu-PF and a wide section of Zimbabweans, they open themselves to the allegations that they have joined the regime change bandwagon.

Why are they silent about the other issues agreed to in the Global Political Agreement such as the need to have sanctions lifted, which in our view must be addressed to create the right environment for elections.

What role have the church leaders played in campaigning for the lifting of economic sanctions? Do they believe that there are sanctions in Zimbabwe or they also call them restrictive measures like the MDC formations?

This is the same body that has previously produced a document called The Zimbabwe We Want. Are they then suggesting that the Zimbabwe they want is one which is under economic sanctions? In what way do sanctions promote good governance and prosperity for Zimbabwe?

The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations can only be taken seriously when they start to frankly and truthfully deal with issues that are a problem in Zimbabwe without seeking to please one political party or western financiers. It will be interesting to know who is paying for their regional tour.

When they produced the Zimbabwe We Want document they were still under the leadership of clergymen like Bishop Trevor Manhanga who did not fear to tackle issues that offended western donors. It was for this reason they could easily get audience with the highest leadership in Zimbabwe and they were able to exert a lot of influence, which resulted in a better Zimbabwe.

It is unfortunate that sections of the Church in Zimbabwe have now compromised themselves to such an extent that they have lost influence. For Zimbabwe to continue to seek outside mediation when the church exists is a serious indictment on how church leaders have conducted them.

It is them who should be a channel for divine wisdom for our political leaders as well as those in the security sector, media and election management body. We wonder if the bishops are able to pray for the Zanu-PF leaders in government or the Defence Forces commanders if they have already taken a position that they want them removed.

The leadership of the parties represented in the Global Political Agreement were quite thorough in articulating the issues that they thought were a problem in Zimbabwe and these are well captured in the agreement. If the church leaders wished to be neutral arbiters, they should be lobbying to have the agreement implemented in its entirety. Or alternatively, they should remain guided by their Zimbabwe We Want document, which to a large extent was a well-reasoned intervention, free of partisan politics.

In their conclusion, to the document they are circulating to Sadc they say: "Throughout the course of her history, and particularly in the last hundred years, the Church has never failed, in the words of Pope Leo XIII, to speak 'the words that are hers' with regards to issues concerning life in society."

If indeed the words contained in the document were theirs, they would have done an honourable service to Zimbabwe. Sadly, they are borrowed words that are regurgitated by the coterie of civic bodies that are part of the well-funded regime change business.