Mugabe warns Catholic bishops over politics

HARARE, May 4 (Reuters) President Robert Mugabe has dismissed criticism from the country's Catholic bishops over his controversial rule as ''nonsense'' and warned that his government could start treating the clergy as political foes.

In a pastoral letter last month, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference said economic hardship and political repression by Mugabe's government had led to widespread anger, leaving the nation in ''extreme danger''.

In his first public response to the criticism, published by the official Herald newspaper today from an interview he had with London-based New African magazine, Mugabe said the bishops had turned political and warned this was a dangerous path.

''If I had go one to church and the priest had read that so called pastoral letter, I would have stood up and said nonsense ... the bishops have decided to turn political,'' said Mugabe, a Catholic who attends church regularly.

''And once they turn political, we regard them as no longer being spiritual and our relations with them would be conducted as if we are dealing with political entities, and this is quite a dangerous path they have chosen for themselves,'' said Mugabe.

Critics say Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, has ruined the once prosperous country and point to a deep economic crisis marked by the world's highest inflation rate of above 2,000 per cent, which has left families struggling to feed themselves.

The crisis coincided with Mugabe's controversial seizure of white-owned commercial farms for redistribution to blacks, which some say has accelerated the collapse of commercial agriculture and lead to food shortages since 2001.

One of Zimbabwe's most senior Catholic clergymen, Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, has long been one of Mugabe's most outspoken critics.

The bishops' group last month accused Mugabe and his officials of running a bad and corrupt government and condemned the brutal crackdown on anti-Mugabe activists on March 11, which left main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and others hospitalised.

In that Easter weekend letter, the bishops also said black Zimbabweans were fighting for political rights in almost the same way as during British colonial rule and that Mugabe had adopted unjust and oppressive laws inherited at independence.

Mugabe said he would meet the bishops and while admitting severe hardships among Zimbabweans, said his government had maintained a solid education and health system and blamed drought for the food shortages.

''I will say much when I meet them. But for our bishops this is a sad, sad story. The whole of this pastoral letter is political nonsense,'' Mugabe said.

''We have said the church and State must work hand in hand but if this is going to be the partner the Catholics want us to have, then obviously they must know that we will reciprocate as politicians,'' he added.

The veteran 83-year-old leader, who is seeking another five-year presidential term next year, denies mismanaging the economy and accuse the West of working with the opposition to plot his downfall as punishment for the land seizures.

Reuters KK GC1600