Archbishop Pius Ncube : A Message of Solidarity
[This message is being circulated on behalf of all Zimbabweans. Please note that there is a multi-denomination prayer service to be held tomorrow. Full details here.]
We as citizens of Zimbabwe are appalled at the recent attempt of the State to undermine the standing of +Ncube. We demand answers to the following questions:
- Why was the Deputy Sheriff accompanied by ten state journalists when serving +Ncube with a summons? This has never happened before in the history of Zimbabwe.
- Why were pornographic images, which may or may not be of +Ncube and a woman in what they imagined to be the privacy of a bedroom, displayed day after day in the state run media, including newspapers and television, to which children have ready access?
- Why is the government fighting a battle for the alleged aggrieved husband? His rights in this case will be decided in due course in a court of law, and it is detrimental for this case or any other to be so publicly debated while sub judice.
- What interest does the government have in this simple civil case?
It is in the interests of the general public to know that Ernest Tekere, the private investigator on this case, was for twenty years a very senior CIO operative, and that he was allegedly active in Matabeleland during the Gukurahundi campaign. The media attack on +Ncube has highlighted the fact that he has been an outspoken critic of Gukurahundi and other government instigated violations of human rights, and has suggested that +Ncube should not be forgiven any transgressions, as he has spoken out about the need for those responsible for gross crimes against humanity to be brought to justice. In other words, we believe that Tekere has a personal as well as a State axe to grind against +Ncube.
While it would be unfortunate if the allegations of a love affair are true, we believe that there is no comparison between two consenting adults having sex and the murder of 20,000 people, the displacement of 500,000 and the total disregard for its own people that this government has shown for 27 years. A love affair would show +Ncube is capable of human frailty. The state is guilty of crimes against humanity.
We believe that +Ncube’s oath of celibacy and any breaching of this is an issue between himself and the Church which he serves. He did not take this oath with the nation and he should not be expected to give the nation an explanation. We are sure that he will deal with the issue appropriately through the Church channels, and will deal with the civil claim through the courts.
We encourage all caring citizens to stand by +Pius Ncube in this dark hour, as he has tirelessly stood by us all for many years. We ask him to continue to raise his voice with ours, and to continue to campaign for the many just causes and fair practices that he has worked for in the democracy movement.
July 25th, 2007 15:03
Our thoughts and prayers are shared by many in South Africa for Archbishop Pius Ncube whom we know is not guilty of anything. WE stand with him, he is a great man.
July 25th, 2007 19:53
The 4 bulleted qtns at the beginning of the post are critical in understanding what is going on here. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand the rationale of the state news media and the actions of CIO and other arms of the current regime in this action. If one is guilty of some offense (e.g., human right s violations and the destruction of a national economy) one of the “cheapest” ways to deal with this is to simply deflect attention away from the real issues and throw up a smoke screen. Zimbabweans are far too intelligent to “buy into” these lies, but when one is drowning, one doesn’t take that sort of thing into account.
As pointed out so well, the personal life of the Archbishop should be of no real concern to what should be a secular government, but rather is better dealt with internally by the Church.
Of course, if I want to hide my own “sins”, I will desperately try to point someone else’s sins (or even create them when, in fact, they might not exist) to draw attention away from myself.
The continual blame shifting is a desperate attempt of a dying regime to continue to justify itself. All of southern Africa (and the rest of the world, for that matter) needs to stand firm in their solidarity for the Archbishop and the courage he has shown in standing against the evils of the “M” regime.
God save Zimbabwe!!!
July 27th, 2007 00:32
I have been following your country in the news ever since I attended a Church in Scotland pastored by a former Zimbabwean. My prayers go out for your nation.
I stand with Pius Ncube.
July 27th, 2007 04:38
I found the accusations against Pius Ncube hilarious. This is no laughing matter but I was so struck by how low the Mugabe government has sunk. Someone should tell Mugabe nobody really cares what Pius Ncube does in the privacy of his own home. Smeering his name will not change the fact that Mugabe has ruined our country. I pray for Pius Ncube and hope that he reads this and find solace in the fact that evil men will concort lies to bring good men down. I am constantly humbled by his courage.
July 27th, 2007 13:02
You are in my thoughts and my prayers my brother Pius Ncube - a true Zimbabwean warrior. May my God guide you and strengthen you through this time of hardship. The truth of Jesus Christ always sets us free from the chains of evil people who will concoct anything to bring us down.
July 30th, 2007 14:35
Using modern day computer graphics software one can generate the ‘Pius Ncube pictures’. I think the Bishop’s defence need to consider this fact . I believe quite honestly that this is what this ‘Tekere fellow’ did.
July 31st, 2007 17:40
There’s a good article about this on http://www.zimbabwetoday.co.uk. I don’t know what to think about the situation.
July 31st, 2007 19:51
I worked in the past for the Archdiocese of Bulawayo and know the setup of St. Mary’s. It is absolutely impossible by the Archbishop (or any other priest for that matter) to carry on with a lifestyle portrayed in the accusation. If it was just a simple misconduct people might have believed, but all the story about “love nest” with crowds of naked women, including nuns and prostitudes can be only taken as a pure “science fiction”.
As for the photos I am just an amatour in Adobe Photoshop, but I can even better pics with His Excellency R.G. Mugabe undressing.
August 12th, 2007 14:07
I stand with and pray for Archbishop Ncube and all the people of Zimbabwe. Mugabe and his criminal government will be held to account for their horrible actions, in this life or the next. Pius Ncube is a brave man, who models for us the way to live out true discipleship, and “Be not afraid.”
August 20th, 2007 21:40
I read on the 26th of June about Pius Ncube’s ardent fight for the rights in my daily paper “Le Monde” (I’m french) and to-day I wanted to find how send to the man who dares to defy the political power in his country, some words of praise and suport when I discovered on the web the comical/tragical law suite he’s involved in at the present moment. I’m astonished at and disgusted of the lowfulness of the individuals who plotted that so well-known traditional pitfall.
Anyhow, as a former “progressist cartholic” of the fifties, I don’t mind if the supposed accusations are or not facts . I thought then, when I was a young practioner, that everybody do as he can do and the vow of celibacy seemed to me a vain challenge.
But that is not the point. I therefore persist consistently in supporting Pius Ncube’s fight against hypocrisy and violence - physical as well as spiritual. And I hope his bishops would persist too in denouncing with him the State violence and inhuman repression as they did on Easter. If not, let him seek the support of the others, believers or not. Let us have confidence in faith and human justice even when it’s mocked at.
September 11th, 2007 23:11
It is indeed so sad what has happened to Zimbabwe, once a beacon of light in this African sub continent. To some extent, I sympathize with Mugabe. He inherited a messy land legacy after Independence. However, I do not excuse Mugabe’s clinging to power for so long and his treatment of the opposition.
Then there is Archbishop Pius Ncube. What a tragic figure. I think he was right in using his position to denounce Mugabe and his totalitarian regime. But what’s up with these Catholic clergy and sex scandals? I don’t know why common folk in the Catholic church do not make a stand against their leadership’s failure to address issues such as celibacy, women priests, etc. These antiquated notions that the Catholic church still adheres to, are largely responsible for all these sex scandals in the church. In a sense, I really don’t have much sympathy toward these disgraced clergymen. If they do not agree with the Catholic rules, they should simply leave the church. Maybe if enough people left the church on these grounds, the Vatican would be forced to take a hard look at their policies and move the church into the 21st century.
September 23rd, 2007 18:18
Pius Ncube is now utterly discredited. His authority was based on the moral high ground he was supposed to occupy as an Archbishop. He has now be unquestionably shorn of that. No amount of self-delusion by his supporters can restore the halo around his head - for a very long time. The should now look for a different leader. One who cannot be shown to be a hypocrite.