Church silence on 2030 agenda sparks national debate

Agrowing debate has emerged over whether Zimbabwe’s churches are still playing their long-standing role as moral voices in national affairs, as the country heads towards the 2030 agenda and grapples with economic pressure, shrinking civic space and rising political tensions.

The issue came under the spotlight on This Morning on Asakhe, an X-Spaces programme hosted by CITEZW, where speakers shared differing views on whether the church has become too quiet on matters of national concern.

Pastor Ray Motsi said what many see as silence from the church is a sign of deeper leadership gaps.

“The silence we have in the church is a symptom, not the actual problem,” he said. “We no longer have church leaders who are passionate about national issues or who feel called to respond to the struggles in our communities. We don’t have the kind of leaders we once had.”

He argued that the church has lost its place as a trusted moral guide.

“The church is no longer seen as a moral compass,” he said. “God raises leaders for a season to address specific issues, but right now we simply don’t have leaders who are God-conscious, spirit-led and able to speak confidently into our situation.”

But Reverend Kenneth Mtata pushed back against the criticism, saying claims that the church has been silent are not entirely accurate.

“I am not sure that the church has been silent regarding the 2030 agenda,” he said. “If you look at the government’s development plans under the National Development Strategy 1, the church has actually been engaging.”

He said the second interpretation of the 2030 debate, linked to speculation over possible changes to presidential term limits, is still uncertain.

“The proposal has not been brought to Parliament or the courts,” he said. “But the churches have already spoken. As far back as January 2025, churches issued a pastoral communiqué explaining why constitutional amendments could harm the culture of constitutionalism. So the church has not been silent.”

Another contributor, EL Magnifico, said expectations of the church must reflect how much the relationship between religion and politics has changed.

“We can’t expect the church to operate like it did in biblical times, when a prophet could walk straight into a king’s court and challenge him,” he said. “Politics and the church now operate separately. That relationship has shifted over time.”

Political commentator Mthulisi Hanana said it may simply be too early for the church to take a definitive position on the 2030 issue.

“As far as 2030 is concerned, it would be unfair to expect the church to comment on what is still a political statement of ambition,” he said. “The details are not clear yet, so the church can’t be expected to respond to something that hasn’t been defined.”