SA Catholic Cardinal says Mugabe's conduct in Zimbabwe undermining the whole of Africa

By Violet Gonda

15 July 2005

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa, Cardinal Wilfred Napier, has said Robert Mugabe's conduct in Zimbabwe is undermining every reason why the West should help Africa. Cardinal Napier who was part of the SA church delegation that went on a 2 day pastoral visit to Zimbabwe has expressed outrage at the plight of those made homeless by the Mugabe regime.

He said the pastoral visit was to walk among the victims and offer prayers for them. The Cardinal saw confused and very traumatised people living in sub-human conditions. So shocked were the church leaders with what confronted them in Zimbabwe that they are going to approach the South African political leadership and its foreign office to express concern over the lack of response from the continent's leaders. He said, "It's hard to understand how African leaders who committed themselves just recently at the G8 summit, can remain silent." Cardinal Napier joins the growing list of influential leaders calling for a much stronger and open reaction from the Southern Africa Development Community and the African Union. He said, "Much has been said about NEPAD and the peer review mechanism but its not happening in the case of Zimbabwe."

The president of the South African Council of Churches Russell Botman and the Anglican Archbishop for Cape Town Njongonkulu Ndungane, were part of the church delegation that met church leaders, civic society and some victims of Operation Murambatsvina. The head of the Catholic Church said the delegation had asked for a meeting with Mugabe to coincide with this visit but the request was not granted.

He dismissed reports in the state controlled media saying the bishops' trip was masterminded by British intelligence services as part of a campaign to push a regime change agenda.

The Cardinal said the church leaders have no connection with British intelligence but they "went as leaders of our churches to express pastoral solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe."

They visited the Caledonia transit camp where thousands of people whose homes were demolished are staying. Another delegate Reverend Mathew Esau, recently said that the clerics could find no words to describe the shocking situation that confronted them. He said they were outraged by the plight of more than 4 000 people at Caledonian Farm, adding that South Africa squatters under apartheid could not have faced a worse experience. He said: "What we saw was a diabolical situation."

Cardinal Napier said the church leaders want Thabo Mbeki to pressure Mugabe to stop the evictions. He said it's illogical for Mbeki to talk about quiet diplomacy when people are dying.