Thursday 12 November 2015

Churches and Politics In Zimbabwe

 By Nick Mangwana



Christianity is a lifestyle. So are many religions. A thumping 85% of Zimbabweans are said to be Christians in one way or another. At least they profess to be one.  Politics is what it is.  Some define it as the use of intrigue, strategy, gimmickry and strategy to obtain a position of power or control. Imagine then that 85% of Zimbabweans decide not to mix their religion (way of life) and politics and leave themselves to be ruled and governed by their inferiors.  Those ones who just want gain control and power for the sake of it. 

Those who want to gain a position for what it brings to them rather than what it enables them to do for the nation and their people? What disturbing world will that be? Even in the current mix nations are being ruled by terrible people who profess Christianity.  That maybe provides them with a bit of moral check. One of course just hopes.

The other heathendom political world seem to be what  some people and a Newsday  editorial  for the 6th of November  titled  “Keep Churches out of politics” seem to be calling for.  Among other things it alleged that Zanu PF was so desperate for money that it was hoping to raise funds  for its conference from a couple of the most prominent so-called " prophets" Messrs Makandiwa and Magaya. Maybe it's Magaya and Makandiwa as it is alleged that these two are fighting for their own pre-eminence so the order by which they are written down might be a "political" issue.  This columnist’s views on this new movement of Pentecostalism are well documented. Suffice to say that they are unflattering. But that should not detract from the fact that the call for  these two and the rest of the churches to stay out of politics just because they are thought to be associated with Zanu PF is ill-conceived  and very self-serving. It is a fact that this type of a call only comes whenever there is church's association with the Ruling Party involved.  That being said, raises the debate whether as the call to keep churches out of politics is a good call, one just happened to cross the mind at the time when the rich pair was associated with Zanu PF?

 Religion is said to structures one’s way of life, and politics modulates it. The whole Bible is based on

the interaction between politics and religion. There is a whole Land Question which emanates from a People occupying others land based on a religious promise they alleged to having been given to them by God. That is an issue that has absorbed the whole world to this day in what is known as the Palestinian Question.  It is one where religion could not be kept out of politics. In talking of Biblical promises and politics the fact most religious leaders then were political leaders cannot not be ignored.
As one traverses the Bible they come across the Crucifixion whose basis were both a religious and a political accusation.  There was confusion of about Jesus’ declaration that he was King of the Jews. Some felt this was a rebellion against Caesar and the political order of the day while others saw some religious sacrilege somewhere.  The end result was a political leader in Pontius Pilate releasing Jesus to the Jewish religious sects of Pharisees and Sadducees resulting in the most revolting and sadistic from of religious martyrdom.  And we are here today talking of a religion that was founded upon that religio-political martyrdom.

But that happened in far off foreign lands. let's bring it closer to home.  From the days of Father Gonzalo da Silveira all the way to  Robert Moffart  tracking through the Liberation Struggle to this day organised Religion and Politics have always been inseparable in Zimbabwe. The occupation of many African lands had the double edged sword of the Bible and the maxim gun. The infamous 1883 Letter to Imperialist Missionaries by King Leopold II comes to mind in illustrating this inseparable combination.

More positively, during the Liberation Struggle, Catholic periodical known as  Moto Magazine was banned by Ian Smith in 1974 to only emerge in 1980 after Independence because of its position against the Rhodesian  Regime and its perceived support for the Liberation Movements. When it comes to the nationalists themselves (however they ended) the nation had clerics such as Ndabaningi Sithole founng president of Zanu,  Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa  prime minister of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia and  Canaan Sodhindo Banana the first State President of an Independent Zimbabwe. Weren't all these cases an interaction between church  and politics. Isn't just rich (pun intended)  that suddenly there is a voice that says Makandiwa and Magaya stay out of politics? 

How many times has Zimbabwe experienced political rallies packaged as Prayer Meetings? Hoo zvakanaka zvichiitwa navamwe kana zvava zve Zanu PF mavara azara ivhu (Is it only acceptable being done by those opposed to Zanu PF but it becomes foul when the ruling party delves in religion)? Why is the nation not hearing these cries to keep politics out of religion when Bishop Bakare calls for his “Convergence”?

Doesn't  whole outlook  Civic Society in Zimbabwe have a veneer of Christian work?  Is civic service only that which is opposed to the State? Churches  are allowed  and should be allowed to deal with civic issues such as human rights, governance  and justice.  But those that want to rally behind the status quo should also be allowed the same space to advocate and finance such causes without risking demonisation. One can argue that if the State is accused of religious persecution (rightly so) and intolerance when it falls hard on churches it perceives as a  front for certain political parties, then it is naturally the same accusation should go to those demonisation those churches identifying with the status quo.

Churches  be  left alone to be outspoken against political excesses, but by the same token they should
also be allowed  outspoken support of  the status quo and even fund it if they so wish. If churches provides a moral voice, such a voice should not be prescribed by the media or such pseudo-democrats.  Those religious supporting the status quo should not be seen as collaborators/accessories  where as those that oppose are seen as heroes. For religion is an issue of conscience. And everyone has a different one.

When church provides a moral voice in a political discourse, it doesn’t always have to be anti-establishment.  All political parties are aware that churches complement or oppose their work.  And naturally  both politics and religion are divisive and naturally they will always have a strained or complimentary relationship.

If there is nothing wrong with  Levee  Kadenge issuing statements against the government, maybe there is  also nothing wrong with  people like Rev Andrew Wutaunanshe are deemed to hold either Pan Africanist or Nationalistic slant in their life outlook issuing pastoral sermons deemed to identify with the same ideals as Zanu PF?   If there is nothing wrong with Pius Ncube delivering religious edicts against the government, what would be wrong with Mapositori uttering supplication for the health of Zanu PF leadership?

Whether people like it or not, politics and religion will always interact and political parties will deploy them to their own ends. It’s all down to who can do it more creatively and in a more productive way. Churches cannot only be recognised as a  vital force to foster moral conscience oppose the State and be accused of collusion when they work with the government of the day.

The attack of seemingly hostile clergy does not only come from those opposed to the government. Those in power have also  issued what could be deemed to be unholy edicts against religious organisations and  individuals.  If this is unacceptable, then it should go both ways.

On their part religious organisations riding roughshod over politics by choosing when to utter their 2 pence worthy through the so-called pastoral letters, retreat and claim unfettered freedom of worship when politicians return fire.  That is tantamount to them having their cake and eat it. If politicians can be scrutinised and attacked, those religious organisation which rightly get involved in politics should be given their political just deserts like everyone else.  After all who can separate religion from politics? And politicians should also be free to use churches  as fishing ponds, after all that's where 85% of the voters are. Let politics and religion interactively co-exist , after all what actually is the difference between the two?

Religion is both a unifying and a diving element in society. Just the same as politics but generally religion has killed more than politics. And this is not about the current wave of terrorism and the accompanying outrages to extremism. The reality which everyone must live with is one cannot separate religion from politics. And politicians love giving moral authority to their nonsense by quoting religious texts. It is known the most favourite scripture to be quoted by an incumbents in political positions and those that support them is the one that says every leadership or dominion is ordained in heaven. How self-serving!

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