Regime enablers and captured religious mandate in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Zimbabwe’s second republic, born after the fall of Robert Mugabe on 17 November 2017, has been characterised by many controversies. Some of the most important of these include claims that human rights, accountability and democracy are being disregarded, and religious leaders are acting as regime enablers to maintain injustice. This article problematises the role of Nehemiah Mutendi and Andrew Wutawunashe, the harbingers of the second republic. I look closely at Mutendi’s and Wutawunashe’s roles in the second republic, in the light of human rights and show how their involvement in the political matrix has the potential to disrupt social cohesion, stoke hate and misrepresent the religious mandate by assuming the role of regime enablers. I argue that, although religious leaders have a constitutional right to be involved in politics, their primary mandate is to promote morality and human rights, fight for the poor and marginalised and not to surrender these rights for the sake of obtaining benefits.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article draws from the nexus theology, religious studies, politics, economy and sociology. The article attempts to show how religious leaders in their involvement in politics affect social arrangements, economy and peace. Therefore, it is interdisciplinary in the sense that it discusses religious issues informed by politics, economy and peace narratives.

Pauline ethics in the context of the socio-political problems in Zimbabwe

“…Several schools, colleges and universities were opened in rural areas to cater for those who had been disadvantaged during the colonial period (ZCBC 2020:6). Zimbabwe emerged as having the highest literacy rate in Africa (Dube 2020) and great strides were made in the first 15 years after independence. There was expansion of public health facilities across the country in the sense that medical services were established in both government and mission hospitals where the bulk of medical services were provided, especially in rural areas (Dube 2020).…”

“…Zimbabwe emerged as having the highest literacy rate in Africa (Dube 2020) and great strides were made in the first 15 years after independence. There was expansion of public health facilities across the country in the sense that medical services were established in both government and mission hospitals where the bulk of medical services were provided, especially in rural areas (Dube 2020). There was also a mass distribution of electricity, especially in rural areas, which the colonial masters had abandoned.…”

Mocking the just God? A theological critique of President Mnangagwa’s use of the name of God to justify his rule in Zimbabwe

“…It was highlighted in the previous section that some influential church leaders have been co-opted by the state to function as its enablers (Dube 2020;Magaisa 2019). However, instead of giving credibility to an evil regime by sacralising it as God-ordained and harassing poor, powerless and suffering citizens to submit to it, church leaders must be agents of justice and resist co-option by Mnangagwa's oppressive system.…”