Zimbabwe: Archbishop Pius Ncube suffers mild stroke

Archbishop Pius Ncube, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Bulawayo diocese, is recovering at his parish home following a minor stroke on the night of 27 October. The archbishop, known for his principled stand against the underprivileged and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe suffered a mild stroke on the right side of his body. In a telephone interview sources from the bishops house confirmed that Archbishop Ncube was out of danger and recovering well. "He suffered a mild stroke on his right side on Monday night. He was alone. The stroke was not serious. He is now resting at home. We advised him to take a break until he is fully recovered. He will be performing his normal duties soon," said one church official. Archbishop Ncube is well known in Southern Africa and the world over for his no holds barred criticism of Robert Mugabe's governance that has caused so much suffering to the poor. He has taken every turn to criticize, human rights abuses, persecution of political opponents and unfair distribution of resources that has led to wide spread poverty. He is one of the few audible voices from the church to that have publicly spoken against National Youth Training camps where torture and rape has surfaced. In June this year, he was praised by the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell for his stand against human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.