Southern Africa’s Bishops have reaffirmed their support for Anglicans in Zimbabwe, as Archbishop Thabo Makgoba prepares to accompany the Archbishop of Canterbury on his pastoral visit there next month.
At their twice-a-year meeting held in Benoni this week, the Synod of Bishops repeated their concerns at the difficult situation faced by Anglicans in Zimbabwe, and voiced their continuing support and prayers. Dr Makgoba will travel at the invitation of Dr Rowan Williams, who will also go to Malawi and Zambia during his visit to the Church of the Province of Central Africa. Dr Makgoba commented ”˜I am glad of this opportunity to be able to demonstrate in person our support for and solidarity with Bishop Chad of Harare, and the wider Anglican Church in Zimbabwe. In Southern Africa’s troubled past, our Church was enormously strengthened and encouraged by the continuing expressions of support we received from around the Anglican Communion.’
Even with the statement of Archbishop Makgoba of Cape Town the communique does not say very much when it turns to the suffering Church in Zimbabwe. Here are the words from the assembled bishops: The situation within Zimbabwe continues to pose a great challenge to our engagement with and support of Christians there. Canon Kaiso affirmed that this is also a priority for CAPA. So, did you read in this that they condemn Kunonga? Does it say to you that the Anglican Church is victim of a rapacious attack on its property? It does none of this and even worse might give the impression that the faithful Anglican side had been in some way contributory to the situation whereas it has simply been under sustained attack. This I fear can be an African problem: a manifest reluctance to speak truth to power, a desire to smooth over and make people hold hands even if one side is aggressor and the other victim.