BiAS 7 – The Bible and Politics in Africa
Some women and children, whose homes were burnt down hence dis-
placed as political violence and intimidation increased, sought refuge in
organizations such as Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA).
The organization reported in 2008 that more than 100 women and at
least 40 children were taking refuge at the YWCA in Harare.^20
The ugly political scene as described above had negative impact on
economy which again affected women most. Since the introduction of
the land reform in 2000, the economy of Zimbabwe deteriorated badly
resulting in high inflation, food shortages, poor health facilities and poor
working conditions. Many suburbs went for months without getting
running water and electricity daily. These economic problems led to civil
strife, including strikes by students, ‘stay aways’ by workers among
others.^21 Some schools and tertiary institutions (colleges and universi-
ties) closed due to massive strikes by teachers and lecturers. While the
government blames economic sanctions by Europe and America as the
source of these economic woes in Zimbabwe,^22 corruption and misman-
agement in government has been noted to have contributed greatly to
the economic melt down.^23
Since women bear the burden of ensuring the survival of their families,
they were the hardest hit by the country’s economic crisis, where basic
social services and goods were limited or and where incomes were con-
sistently eroded by spiraling inflation. Although most of the women had
to embark on very long trips to neighboring countries such as Botswana,
South Africa, and Mozambique among others to buy groceries for the
families, a sizeable number had no option but to trust in God for suste-
nance as they faced starvation of their children. The period was just a
hopeless one.
It was in the midst of such political and socio-economic crises that the
Bible was used by various levels of the society to give explanation, en-
Zimbabwe threatens security of women and girls, YWCA News, 14 May 2008, available
online http://www.worldywca.org/en/YWCA-News/News-Archive-2008-2005/YWCA-
of-Zimbabwe-Action-Alert.(^20) Makombe, Towards Parity for Women in Politics’.
(^21) Gadziro Gwekwerere, ‘Gospel Music as a Mirror of the Political and Socio-Economic
Developments in Zimbabwe, 1980-2007’, Exchange (35), 2009, 335.
(^22) Mugabe, Inside the Third Chimurenga.
(^23) Masiiwa Ragies Gunda, ‘Reconsidering the relevance of the Prophet Amos in the quest
for a just society in contemporary Zimbabwe’, Bulletin for Old Testament Studies in Af-
rica, 2010.