Abstract
Zimbabwe’s political waters have been turbulent for more than a decade now. The political terrain has been characterised by political bickering, intimidations, violence and allegations of vote rigging. It is believed that the Lancaster House Constitution in a way aided these vices; hence the call for Zimbabwe to come up with a new constitution should be understood in this context. After the formation of the Government of National Unity, it was agreed that a new constitution be put in place before new elections are held. Thus, in February 2013, Zimbabwe held a referendum on a new constitution which was ‘resoundingly’ accepted by the people. This constitution was a result of negotiation between the three parties in the Government of National Unity, though consultative meetings were held across the country and stakeholders were asked to contribute. The church in Zimbabwe is one of the key stakeholders which made submissions for input in the new constitution. This article, therefore, explores the ecumenical bodies’ reactions and reflections on the new constitution. Data gathered through interviews and documents analysis show that the ecumenical movement’s response to the new constitutional provisions which deal with abortion, homosexuality and freedom of conscience is by and large negatively skewed.
Highlights
The purpose of this article is to look at how the ecumenical movement in Zimbabwe has reacted as well as reflected on the newly adopted constitution in Zimbabwe
The ecumenical organisation in Zimbabwe is constituted by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC), Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), Heads of Christian Denominations (HOCD) and Union for the Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe (UDACIZA)
Not surprising that some Zimbabwean churches played a crucial role in the processes that culminated in the 2013 New Constitution. It is a process in which the church actively participated, and placed its demands on the table for consideration in the constitution. It was the church’s firm belief that participating in the constitution-making process was coming from its conviction that; “any religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of humanity and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a dryas-dust religion” (Statement prepared by the Peace and Justice Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe in 2012 prior to the Second Stakeholders’ Conference)
Summary
The ecumenical organisation in Zimbabwe is constituted by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC), Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), Heads of Christian Denominations (HOCD) and Union for the Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe (UDACIZA). This exploration is, critical because it reveals the political role of the church in Zimbabwean society. According to Sokwanele (2012) a constitution is designed so as to ensure, on the basis of what we think justice requires, what will be the most desirable outcome It acts as a social contract between those that govern and those that are governed. Before we look at the church’s response to the current constitution, there is need to consider the history of constitution-making process in Zimbabwe starting from the Lancaster House constitution
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