Catholic bishops lament Zim’s widening gap between the rich and poor; rising poverty
By Staff Reporter
ZIMBABWE Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) members have slammed the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor on the back of calls for the government to extricate citizens from deepening poverty.
A Lenten Pastoral Letter dated March 3, 2025 by ZCBC members expressed worries about the country’s struggling economy as politicians focus on non-essential issues.
“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 at which it is taking place, cutting through various sectors, the nation is doomed. One wonders why the corrupt seem uncensored and even rewarded whilst hemorrhaging the nation,” the letter reads.
The bishops criticized economic policies for favoring the elite while most Zimbabweans struggle with poverty.
“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 in the world today is not simply a misfortune, bad luck or inevitable -the result of laziness or ignorance or a lack of development. Poverty in the world today is the direct result of political and economic policies of governments, political parties, and big business.”
