Zimbabwe’ Catholic Bishops have broken the silence on the prevailing situation in the country and have through their weight behind the campaign #zimbabweanlivesmatter, claiming that the country is facing a “multi-layered crisis”.

In their Pastoral letter published on August 14, the bishops highlighted that there was a gap of generations and thoughts within the political elite.

“The struggle In Zimbabwe between those who think they have arrived and those on March has resulted in a multi layered crisis of the convergence of economic collapse, deepening poverty, food insecurity, corruption and human rights abuses among other crisis in urgent need of resolution.”

The bishops hinted that the call for demonstrations was a red flag on the growing frustrations of the Zimbabwean population.

“The call for demonstrations is the expression of growing frustration and aggravation caused by the conditions that the majority of Zimbabweans find themselves in.

“Suppression of people’s anger can only serve to deepen the crisis and take a nation into deeper crisis.”

They went on to underline the ‘ignorance’ by government to advice and calls from various governments, regional and international bodies to address the deepening crisis faced by sons and daughters of the soil as catastrophic and the concern by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was a positive but regrettable.

“Following attempts by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa to intervene by sending a special envoy.

The failure to make broad consultations with the Church and Civic society at this tempestuous time was regrettable,” said the Bishops.

In response to the letter, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa dismissed the letter and said the bishops want to cause anarchy in the country.