Mr Mugabe too hurried to wait for Church

By Beth Webb Robert Mugabe "not the big bad wolf of Marxism"
ROBERT MUGABE is "a man in a hurry", too much of a hurry to wait for a "necessarily neutral" Church, according to a Jesuit who has spent many years in Rhodesia.
Fr Paul Crane, Si, now director of Clever House in London met Mr Mugabe first in Salisbury. Fr Crane described him as a man driven by vision, impatient with the Church's non-partisan stance" in Rhodesian politics. He "couldn't wait for the Church", he had to forge ahead and create radical social change, Fr Crane explained Mr Mugabe was born into a Catholic family which was held together by his mother's staunch adherence to the faith. He was educated by the Jesuits at the Kutama mission school, "my teachers, the fathers were strict disciplinarians, I benefited from their teaching, I am most grateful", he said in a recent interview.
While at the black university of Fort Hare, Mr Mugabe started to learn about Marxism. In later years, he was deeply influenced by the achievements of Gandhi in newly independent India.
As the fifties progressed he carefully followed the careers of Kenyatta in Kenya, and Kwarne Nkrumah in Ghana. He spent time teaching in Ghana. and contributing to its development as a new country, and, at the same time, moving closer to Marxism.
Returning to Rhodesia in 1960. Mugabe entered Rhodesian politics, and was arrested for his views four years later. Although he emerged from prison a Marxist, he reputedly never missed Mass or Confession, but Fr Crane says that he never considered Mr Mugabe to be the "big bad wolf of Marxism", he calls himself a socialist, he said.
Speaking on his own behalf. the new Prime Minister designate of Zimbabwe said that he objected to the anti-materialism of the Christian Church.
"I accept Christian principles: love your neighbour, that there must be peace between you, that you mustn't take that which is not yours or exploit others and so on, the whole concept of charity. It is the same as the Socialist concept that we must live together in peace."
Mr Mugabe went on to say that he felt there was a "merger" of Christian and socialist philosophies in his thinking. "If those who claim that Marxism contradicts Christianity can prove to me where and how these principles are at varience, I would want to know".
The prognosis for a Mugabeled Zimbabwe seems to he good, according to both Fr Crane, and independent election witness, Lord Chitnis.
As the results started to come in. the white population appeared to be very frightened, but Mugabe immediately held out the olive branch, and within 24 hours, it appeared that the whites were calm and optimistic about their future.
When asked if Mr Mugabe would be fair to the white population, Fr Crane asked. "How fair have the whites been to the Zimbabwe blacks in the past? If the whites accept that they no longer rule. and try to work with Mr Mugabe, I believe things will be alright", he added.
Lord Chitnis said that he thought the election was "relatively free and fair", and as good as could be obtained under the circumstances.
"Zimbabwe has become very self sufficient during the trade embargoes, and if Mr Mugabe's broadly based government works, there is no reason why the prognosis for the country should not he extremely good", he said.
Mr Mugabe's immediate plans appear to be to set up a labour intensive co-operative system of agriculture which will strengthen the tribal lands as well as help the • Mr Robert Mugabe country to cope with the huge refugee problem of returning expatriots.
"If, unlike Mr Nyerere of Tanzania, Mr Mugabe does not rush ahead of his people, justice and order may come," said Fr Crane," "but we shall just have to wait and see", he added.