Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic community of Southern Africa has risen to the challenge of assisting the poor and destitute in Zimbabwe. After a call by the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (Swaziland, South Africa and Botswana) to celebrate a Solidarity Sunday for Zimbabwe on the 15th of February (see Fides 13/2/2009), “the Catholic Community has raised over 800,000 Rand (66, 542 Euros) in cash donations. Many communities have responded generously with food, clothing and medicine donations,” said a statement released by the SACBC to Agenzia Fides.
Fr. Vincent Brennan, Secretary General of the SACBC, said that the response was overwhelming. “So many individuals and communities, many of them poor themselves, have responded with incredible generosity. I’m amazed that so many people responded so generously. For many families, the current economic crisis is hitting hard, but so many gave so generously, from those who gave large donations (one individual donor gave over 750,000 Rands (62,383 Euros) worth of food) to those who came to the churches involved and dropped off one tin of food and some clothes.”
Individual donors have given over 96 tons of Soya and fortified Children’s food. Many have contributed to the cost of packaging and transport.
Money raised in South Africa has been used to buy basic medical supplies for the Catholic Healthcare networks in Zimbabwe. Part of the 258 ton shipment will be a refrigerated container of medicine.
Food has been purchased and palletised for transportation. Many companies have generously allowed food to be purchased at whole price.
The consignment of goods, including clothes, will leave for Zimbabwe in the next week. It will be distributed in Zimbabwe under the supervision of Caritas International, the Umbrella Body for Catholic Charities internationally.
The economic situation in Zimbabwe is increasingly worse, to the point that the government in Harare has decided to suspend the use of the Zimbabwe dollar for one month, because it is in fact worth nothing, and inflation is completely out of control. The most recent bill issued was of 10 billion dollars, barely enough to purchase a loaf of bread. 94% of Zimbabwe's work force is unemployed.
In the meantime, the government of national unity, led by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, has formed a committee of 25 members of Parliament, to draft a new Constitution and draw up a short-term program for improving the national economy. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 15/4/2009)
