Bishop Sipuka: Solidarity visit emphasised church’s call for dialogue in
Mozambique

The president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) says
the recently concluded solidarity visit to Mozambique emphasised the church’s call for dialogue in the Southern African nation.

In an interview with the SACBC Communication Office about the two-day visit, the newly elected president of the Southern African Council of Churches (SACC) Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka said that during the meeting with the Catholic Bishops of Mozambique at the close of their plenary session, the Bishops expressed deep concerns about the recent election. 

According to Bishop Sipuka, the Mozambican bishops lamented reports of electoral irregularities and the alleged excessive use of force by police. However, they also urged citizens to avoid violent responses and to seek peaceful ways of expressing their dissatisfaction.

During the November 12 to 13 solidarity visit the SACBC-SACC delegation led by
Bishop Sipuka, Archbishop Buti Joseph Tlhagale OMI of the Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Johannesburg and the Liaison Bishop of the SACBC Social Action
Department Bishop João Rodrigues of Tzaneen diocese also met with the Christian Council of Mozambique and other religious leaders, who shared the urgency of increasing the churches involvement in advocating for peaceful dialogue amid escalating tensions.

According to Bishop Sipuka, the meetings with the Deputy Minister of Justice and
representatives from the South African Embassy in Mozambique, highlighted the
“seriousness” of the situation and stressed the need for “dialogue as the most viable way forward.”

Although time constraints prevented the delegation from meeting with “political
parties, and civil society groups,” Bishop Sipuka believes that the visit “heightened the sense of urgency” around the need for talks among stakeholders, including efforts by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address the political tensions in Mozambique.

At the end of the November plenary session held in Matola, the Mozambican bishops announced a National Day of Prayer for Peace set for November 24, on the feast day of Christ the King.

In the meantime, the SACBC and SACC plan to stay “connected with the
Mozambican church to provide continued support and determine any further steps that may be required to assist in promoting peace in Mozambique,” said Bishop Sipuka.

Meanwhile, in a statement shared with the SACBC Communication office, the SACC calls on the South African government “to use all of its influence to encourage all political formations in Mozambique to come together for the sake of the future of the country, and put aside their narrow political party interests, in service to the people of Mozambique.”