A. THE COUNTRY

The Republic of Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa with rich agricultural land and mineral deposits.  Mismanagement, corruption, disease, costly military adventurism in the Congo and the land redistribution programme (seizing of white-owned farms) plunged the nation into economic disaster.  There was hyperinflation, mass unemployment, downturn in direct foreign investment and tourism, and education and health systems were paralysed.  As of 2008, President Mugabe is in a power sharing agreement with Prime Minister Tsangirai, bringing progress to the country.

B. THE PEOPLE

The U.N.-projected population of 12,644,041 fails to account for extensive disease and massive emigration (25-50% fled mostly to neighbouring African states).  There are over 42 peoples:

Bantu 97.8% (Shona 68.2%, Nguni 14%, Chewa-Sena 8.2%, Other 7.4%)

Other African 0.6%

Other 1.6% (European, South Asian, East Asian, Coloured).

Official languages are English and the Bantu languages, Shona and

Ndebele.

C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM

Freedom of religion exists but is seriously compromised by political interference in church affairs.

71.99% claim to be Christian, 19.2% Ethnoreligionist, 1.1% Muslim, 0.2%

Baha’i, 0.08% Hindu, 0.02% Jewish, 0.01% Buddhist.

In the Christian category:

Independents are 44.75%, Protestants 22.62%, Catholic 9.66%,

Unaffiliated 3.5%, Anglican 2.9%, Orthodox 0.04%.

Evangelicals represent 30.9% of the population.

Charismatics are 47.6% (of those, 24.5% are Pentecostals).

Donna Siemens

 

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org

Operation World, Jason Mandryk. Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010.