The Roman Catholic Church through the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) has called for inclusive dialogue saying Zimbabwe government’s political and economic policies have failed to “impact the poor”.
In its pastoral letter to the church in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) said the prevailing political and economic situation in the country confirmed the need for inclusive dialogue to rescue the situation.
“If, as Catholic social teaching says, the value of policies is assessed by how they impact the poor then one can safely say that our political and economic policies have failed,” ZCBC said.
The Roman Catholic called for inclusive dialogue saying no single political party has the answers to the problems facing the country.
“There is so much dehumanizing poverty and despair among our people. In order to overcome our socio-political and economic challenges there is need for a meaningful inclusive dialogue in the country. If there is a lesson from our synodal journey it is precisely that we cannot go it alone. No single political party has all the answers hence the importance of listening to each other as we journey together,” ZCBC added.
The Roman Catholic further blamed the prevailing political instability on the impending 2023 elections.
According to Roman Catholic, price increases were causing so much “dehumanizing poverty and despair among Zimbabweans.
“In Zimbabwe, the context of the synodal journey is the growing political volatility brought about by the impending 2023 General Elections. These elections are already being preceded by political intolerance, violence and bloodshed.
What has exacerbated our situation is the economic instability of the country which has brought with it instability in the financial market resulting in continuous increases in prices of basic commodities leaving them beyond the reach of the poor.
