‘June 2008, verse 27’: the church and the 2008 Zimbabwean political crisis

Abstract

This article examines the response of the church in Zimbabwe to the 2008 political crisis that was precipitated by violence, economic decay and social strife. It outlines the history of church–state relations in the country, noting that these have changed over time. The article describes the context of the 2008 elections, highlighting Robert Mugabe's predicament. It notes that while the run-up to the elections was peaceful, waves of violence followed Mugabe's defeat at the polls. During the run-up to the ‘re-run’, Mugabe and his henchmen resorted to naked violence. The article outlines the response of the church to these developments. It shows how the church sought to promote healing and reconciliation, provided humanitarian assistance, as well as the monitoring of elections. On the challenges accompanying the church's engagement with the political crisis, the article isolates a lack of unity, emergence of ‘party-affiliated’ pastors and lack of theological sophistication.