
Mugabe is a devoted Catholic. “We thank the former
President for the good work he did for Zimbabwe during the liberation struggle
and as President for 37 years. We forgive him for any shortcomings during his
long tenure of office. We wish the new incumbent every blessing and success,”
the ZCBC said in a statement.
The church implored Mnangagwa to incorporate people from
all walks of life into his government to promote transition into a fully-fledged
democracy.
“Beyond this crisis, a sustainable normalisation of
Zimbabwe can only be achieved through a people-inclusive and participatory
process in a democratic way. We encourage the governance of Zimbabwe in any
transition that may be adopted to embrace all Zimbabweans in their diversity
and their oneness. This is a Kairos moment where all Zimbabweans should have a
voice in this transition,” the Catholic bishops’ statement read.
The church leadership, which has in the past issued
hard-hitting statements against Mugabe, accusing him of gross human rights
abuses, clamping down on dissenting voices and conducting bloody elections,
said only a national transitional authority would cure the nation’s wounded
body politic.
“In 2016, together with the other heads of churches under
the umbrella body of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations, we called
for the establishment of a national programme for transformation which would
consist of short and long term goals.”
In the main, the church said only genuine electoral reforms
would solve the economic challenges that have condemned many into poverty.
“We need to work for electoral reforms to restore
confidence in the plebiscite. The realisation of free and fair elections in
2018 will make the outcome more acceptable internally and externally,” the
church said. Newsday
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