Zimbabwe

Most recently the Archbishop called for a new civil rights movement in Britain to bring about the restoration of Zimbabwe at a special rally service held at St Margaret's Church, Westminster.

At the Zimbabwe rally, Dr. Sentamu said: "I am inviting people to work with me for the restoration of Zimbabwe in order that peace, prosperity and the rule of law are restored to that once great and prosperous land of hope for Africa which has become a waste land of oppression, poverty and disease. Restoration will require prayer, money and support. I am asking people to commit to offering what they can in any and all of these categories."

The Archbishop also appealed for action now stating that: "I welcome the government's commitment for no forced return for Zimbabweans. But this is not enough. Free Zimbabweans in detention, who can't go home. And if they stay here, they must not stay in limbo. If detainees are not going to be deported, please release them now. For those many who are not going to be forcefully removed – please give them conditional permission to work now. And for us, may all our communities engage with Restore Zim'

Writing in a recent article in The Sunday Times, the Archbishop stated that 'Britain must ensure no Zimbabwean is destitute on our streets, it must provide them with dignity until they can return home. Jesus never called the Samaritan "good", that was just what he became known as later. But now is the time for Britain to become a good Samaritan to the people of Zimbabwe. For anyone who is in need is my neighbour.'

In late June 2008, the Archbishop of York issued a further plea for the Government to close the British High Commission in Harare as part of tougher sanctions against the Zimbabwean government and for the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, to intervene directly.

The Archbishop said South Africa should remember global pressure forced a change in the system which had previously governed their lives.

A transcript of the interview is available here.

And previously...

In April 2008, the Archbishop urged that the public join him for day of fasting and prayer in York Minster for Zimbabwe. The Archbishop's action followed his joint statement released with the Archbishop of Canterbury, calling for "a civil society movement that both gives voice to those who demand an end to the mayhem that grows out of injustice, poverty, exclusion and violence. The Archbishop said: "As a Christian community we must all stand together with our brothers and sisters living under the tyranny Mugabe and pray that they will find deliverance."

Speaking in a dramatic interview on BBC1's Sunday AM programme, Dr. John Sentamu removed his clerical collar and cut it up into pieces live on air saying that President Mugabe had "taken people's identity .and cut it to pieces" prompting the Archbishop to do the same.

During the interview with Andrew Marr, Dr. Sentamu said that his clerical collar, also known as a dog collar, "is what I wear to identify myself, that I'm a clergyman". "You know what Mr Mugabe has done? He's taken people's identity, and literally, if you don't mind, cut it to pieces, and in the end there's nothing." As he cut his own dog collar into pieces the Archbishop declared "As far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to wear a dog collar, until Mr Mugabe's gone".

The Archbishop also chastised African leaders at the Africa-EU summit for their support of Mr. Mugabe whist the people of the country continued to suffer: "Because what is going on for me, there is this pernicious, self destructing racism. A white man does it the whole world cries. A black person does it, there is a certain sense oh this is colonialism. I'm sorry I don't buy this. Africa and all the world have got to liberate Africa from this mental slavery and this colonial mentality - whenever there's anything you blame somebody else instead of yourself".

The transcript of the Archbishops interview is available and the interview with Andrew Marr can be watched again.

The plight of Zimbabweans has came to the fore as the economic crisis has escalated, with spiralling inflation resulting in chronic food shortages and a deepening refugee crisis. Writing in the Observer newspaper, the Archbishop said that "Britain needs to escape from its colonialist guilt when it comes to Zimbabwe. Mugabe is the worst kind of racist dictator. Having targeted the whites for their apparent riches, Mugabe has enacted an awful Orwellian vision, with the once oppressed taking on the role of the oppressor and glorifying in their totalitarian abilities."

To view the Prime Minister statement on ITN regarding intervention on Zimbabwe, please click here.