Bishop Abel Muzorewa’s Theology and the Struggle for Zimbabwe, 1965-1980: A Re-Consideration

Abstract

World over, the endeavour to write a full-scale national history is an intricate business. The roadmap for the independence of Zimbabwe after 1965 has been examined from various perspectives, given the contested nature of its last events in the 1970s. The roadmap was even more intricate especially when dealing with a critical historical period in which certain personalities possess vested interests in occupying the same political throne. For instance, Mugabe, Muzorewa, Sithole and Nkomo were key life-long political contestants who availed themselves for the leadership of an independent Zimbabwe. The paper argues that although Muzorewa was eventually and permanently sidelined after losing the landmark independence elections of 1980, his name would forever be en-coded in the history of independent Zimbabwe. A hermeneutical re-reading of Muzorewa’s theology which is found in his autobiography reveals that he epitomised the spirit of a particular era, which was imbued with a sense of solidarity and patriotism in the backdrop of the struggle for the independence of Zimbabwe. Muzorewa served both the church and the nation as an inspiration out of his values of selfishlessness and integrity for humanity. The lessons that could be got from the study are manifold, both for contemporary Zimbabwe and even beyond. The study will show that people are always happier if society is ruled with just laws and international cooperation is the benchmark for human progress in a world that has become a global village.