by Christopher Makaza
Citizens have applauded Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa's response to a letter from the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop Conference (ZCBC) dated 14 August 2020, which attacked President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Government and inciting Zimbabweans to revolt against him.
According to the citizens, the Catholic bishops should desist from acting like political commissars of opposition political parties in the country and concentrate on their core mandate of preaching the word of God.
In her response letter to the ZCBC, Minister Mutsvangwa highlighted that the Government, vehemently objected to and strongly condemned the pastoral letter of Archbishop Robert Ndlovu and his coterie of Catholic prelates.
The letter's message according to Minister Mutsvangwa reeks of all the vices that have perennially bobble the progress of Africa and trumpets, petty tribal feuds and narrow regionalist agendas, so that it can sow seeds of internal strife as a prelude to national disintegration.
The Minister likened Archbishop Ndlovu to the Rwandese Archbishop Arthanase Seromba who was the chief spiritual ideologist and violent practitioner of the 1994 Hutu-Tutsi Genocide in Rwanda.
On its Twitter handle, Zanu PF SanctionsMustFall, the ruling party supported Minister Mutsvangwa's response adding that the anti-Government bishops had no place in national discourses.
"Cde Mutsvangwa is right. Sinister bishops of violent disposition and devoid of moral values have no place in national discourses. Archbishop Ndlovu can never be allowed to sow seeds of internecine strife....civil war and national disintegration," it said.
One netizen, The Truth, accused the bishops of publishing hate speech and always praying for death of political leaders.
"Bishops must preach peace and love. Must offer counsel and advice to leaders and not publish hate speech. We want to hear that bishops approached leaders to pray for them. Catholic bishops have always been praying for death of political leaders. Who do you serve devil or God," he questioned.
Kudakwashe Marazanye posted on his Twitter handle accusing the bishops of acting like political commissars of the opposition political parties in the country.
"So bishops should be allowed to dabble in opposition politics and act like Political Commissars of MDC-Alliance using inflammatory language and hashtags against the Government. The Government simply responded in kind to a provocative letter. @Vatican News @Pontifex should respect the Government and not be confrontational, " he said.
Netizen Brazen Taru noted that the opposition elements who are attacking Minister Mutsvangwa's response are also on the forefront of attacking some local church leaders who allegedly work closely with the Government for the development of the country.
"You see opposition politicians playing holier-than-thou, demonising Senator Mutsvangwa's response to the Catholic bishops, you would think they are not the same people who unceasingly lambast Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa, Ezekiel Guti and other men of God for attending National Days of Prayer, " he said.
The Catholic church leadership in Zimbabwe has always been accused of meddling in the country's politics with a view to effect regime change. They are on record for praying for the death of the country's leadership, which they erroneously accuse of causing suffering of the Zimbabwean citizens, but remain silent on the illegal sanctions, which have brought the economy to its knees.
