Johannesburg – A Zanu PF spokesperson in Johannesburg has launched a scathing attack on Archbishop Pius Ncube’s activities in South Africa in the past few days. The Zimbabwean archbishop was on a “misguided mission”, said Gadzira Chirumanzu, Zanu PF’s SA secretary for information on Monday. “Instead of building bridges, he seems to be agitating for chaos and insurrection. Surely, a bishop should have some modicum of decency.” Chirumanzu asked why Ncube was campaigning in South Africa for a free and fair election. “In case the bishop is not aware, the elections will take place in Zimbabwe and not in South Africa.” He said the bishop was obviously on a fund-raising mission for next year’s elections, and had abandoned his flock to become a full-time politician. Ncube had been openly invited to meet Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to discuss what he was telling the outside world about Zimbabwe, said Chirumanzu. “Up to now the archbishop has not embraced the invitation”. However, he admitted that Mugabe had not actually contacted Ncube, relying on the media to advertise his “invitation”. Ncube, an outspoken critic of the Zimbabwean government, has been the subject of much media attention in the past weeks. He spoke out strongly against African Union members last week, saying they did nothing, but “back each other up and drink tea”. Ncube also claimed the Zimbabwean government had lied about the amount of food available in the country, and warned of large-scale starvation. Ncube has been in South Africa for the last week, where he has continued his public attack on the Zanu PF. “This habit by the archbishop to globetrot and, in the process, smear other presidents with unkind remarks on the Zimbabwe situation is unchristian and mischievous,” said Chirumanzu.

Comment from The Mercury (SA), 13 July

Zimbabwe’s messenger

By the Editor

There is an age-old means of dealing with unpleasant news. It is to “shoot the messenger” and to continue pretending that all is well. That obviously is the convenient tactic being adopted by Zimbabwean authorities to the moral arguments put forward by that country’s Archbishop Pius Ncube this week. Ncube said nothing revolutionary in a speech in Durban at the weekend – he called on his government to start caring for its people, particularly those starving and dying of malnutrition. He appealed to South Africa to impose sanctions on its neighbour should its human rights violations continue. He also called for the Zimbabwean government to allow the United Nations to objectively assess the food situation and he expressed concern about the legitimacy of the elections in Zimbabwe next year. In a knee-jerk response, Gadzira Chirumanzu, Zanu PF’s South African Secretary for Information, yesterday virtually accused the archbishop of agitating for “chaos and insurrection”. Deaf ears will not change the truth that lies behind the cleric’s concerns. The Zimbabwe situation is of huge humanitarian concern and, if unaddressed, could threaten the political and social stability of the region. It is shameful if a report on the human rights situation has been stifled at the African Union, as has been claimed. The leaders of the AU indeed need to show more concern and become far more outspoken on these issues. Ncube is to be admired for his courage in a stand that brings back memories of some of our own history during apartheid – Ncube recounted how his mother has been visited twice by state intelligence officers in an attempt to intimidate him into shutting up. More leaders should take heed of his response – that his faith and beliefs will not allow him to remain silent in the face of human rights violations.

Source: WWW.ZwNews.Com