Zimbabwe is “Doomed” as “Zvigananda” are rewarded, Catholic Bishops warn

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The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) has warned that Zimbabwe is “doomed” if President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration does not take decisive action to curb rampant corruption.

In a pastoral letter issued on March 3, just two days before the start of the 2025 Lent Season, the bishops urged the government to prioritise “bread and butter issues” over focusing on extending Mnangagwa’s term in office.

The bishops also criticised the unpunished corruption, claiming that those responsible are not only uncensored but are often rewarded while draining the nation’s resources.

A new term, “zvigananda,” has recently emerged in Zimbabwe’s vocabulary. It is used to describe corrupt individuals who accumulate wealth through illicit means and questionable morals, exploiting personal connections with powerful politicians to seize public resources for personal gain.

The bishops warned that, given the rate at which companies are closing and people are losing their jobs, Zimbabwe is on a perilous path. Part of the letter reads:

We are all worried about the situation in the country. Politically, instead of focusing on bread-and- butter issues we are caught up in distractions such as the ‘Third term’ conversations.

Something that has brought with it divisions and unnecessary diversions from the things that do matter. Economically, we are not faring well.

Businesses are closing and many people are losing their jobs. The few who are still lucky to be working are burdened under the regime of taxes.

Corruption is rampant and seems to be out of control. At the rate which it is taking place, cutting through various sectors, the nation is doomed.

One wonders why the corrupt seem uncensured and even rewarded whilst haemorrhaging the nation.

The bishops also lamented the rising poverty in the country, saying it is “not accidental,” but rather the result of specific choices and systems in place. They said:

It must be said that in our society there is an ever-widening gap between the poor and the rich. Few individuals seem to be benefiting from the wealth of the nation.

We would like to remind our people that… poverty is not accidental, but a result of particular choices and systems, calls for our introspection as a nation.

The bishops’ conference consists of seven Catholic bishops who oversee dioceses in Mutare, Harare, Hwange, Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo, and Gokwe. The current president is Reverend Paul Horan, the bishop of the Mutare diocese.

Catholic bishops have been vocal critics of Zimbabwe’s trajectory under President Mnangagwa, who came to power following a 2017 military coup with promises of political and economic reforms.

Mnangagwa’s supporters within the ruling ZANU PF party are pushing for a constitutional amendment to extend his term beyond 2028 when his second and final term is set to end.