Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Pretoria (Agenzia Fides) – The ninth plenary session of the Inter-regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA), which opened on 6 December in Pretoria, South Africa, ended yesterday, Sunday, 12 December. As stated in a press release sent to Fides, the Assembly was attended by 60 bishops from IMBISA member countries (Angola and São Tomé, Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe). The theme of the Assembly focused on good work ethics for the promotion of good governance and self-sustainability of the local Churches. The topic is a development from the two previous conferences, which focused on self-sustainability (Harare, Zimbabwe, in 2004) and good governance (Luanda, Angola, in 2007).
An essential aspect of self-sustainability is that of ensuring good governance. This includes issues such as accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness, equity and inclusion.
Achieving self-sufficiency, in the Church and in society, also depends on the promotion of a good work ethic. The Bishops of various countries expressed concern about the lack of a good work ethic in society and the Church herself. The reasons for this are: the colonial past, where some have benefited from the work of others; the emergence of different social problems like unemployment, poverty, the influx of people from rural areas to cities, the widespread desire to “get rich quickly”, the growing gap between rich and poor, the disintegration of family life and the widespread attitude of claims of rights, and neglecting responsibilities; the need to rebuild infrastructure after many years of civil war and conflict; the needs of the global economy, which do not seem to benefit the people trying to break free from a life of subsistence.
Among other issues discussed was the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe, with the incomplete implementation of the Global Political Agreement for which the SADC (Southern African Development Community) is the guarantor. The Bishops expressed their solidarity with the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe and called on all to seek a peaceful solution based on “Ubuntu” (a term that in Southern Africa affirms the existence of a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity, hence the need for unity or consensus in decision making) and on Christian principles. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 13/12/2010)
