Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa delivers a speech during his Nov. 24 swearing-in ceremony in Harare. Photo: CNS All Zimbabweans should have a voice in the country’s governance following Robert Mugabe’s 37-year presidency, and the new government should embrace diversity, Zimbabwe’s bishops said.
Congratulating President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose November 24 inauguration followed a de facto coup, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference also thanked 93-year-old Mugabe for “the good work he did for Zimbabwe during the liberation struggle” against white rule and as president.
“We forgive him for any shortcomings during his long tenure of office,” the bishops said in a pastoral statement.
Addressing all Zimbabweans, the bishops said,: “We thank God and congratulate you as a nation for displaying a high standard of maturity in the recent tensions” in the southern African country.
“We thank you all for your peaceful conduct, tolerance and co-operation during the military-assisted transition,” they said.
The bishops said the goals of economic recovery and electoral reforms must be achieved before the general elections, scheduled for 2018.
Mugabe’s policies are widely blamed for Zimbabwe’s economic decline over the last two decades. Millions of economic refugees have left the country, with most going to South Africa.