Church's Role In Promoting Good Governance Essay

Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background of Governance in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a constitutional democracy with a multiparty parliament. This country is currently presided over by a Government of National Unity which came about as a result of the SADC-brokered GPA signed by the three main political parties in the country. Although there is some semblance of economic stabilization after the formation of the GNU, it is still caught up in a political stalemate: torn between poor political performance and reeling from the effects of international isolation.   As a result socio-economic and political problems leave many people vulnerable especially women and children. (McNeil and Malena 2010, 110)  
AN international foundation on governance has ranked Zimbabwe at the bottom of the Southern African region, beating only strife-torn Somalia and Chad on the continent. According to the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance 2010 , Zimbabwe was placed 51 out of the 53 African countries judged for their commitment to four pillars of governance — safety and rule of law, participation and human rights, sustainable economic opportunity and human development. The index also measures the delivery of public goods and services by government and non-state actors.
The Zimbabwe government’s response to the economic crisis has been to undertake substantial asset redistribution. This has taken the form of the land reform and programmes of black empowerment through economic indigenization. These redistribution initiatives, aimed at addressing structural imbalances in the economy so as to reduce poverty and inequality, have had mixed results. Economic recovery therefore remains elusive. (Sachikonye   etal 2007)
1.2 Glad Tidings Fellowship
Glad Tidings Fellowship believes that the church has the moral imperative to act for the common good. For people of faith, therefore, there are no political or spiritual spheres where their participation can be denied. The attempt to influence the...