HARARE - President Robert Mugabe, who has imposed a siege of terror on political opponents, the judiciary and the media in Zimbabwe, has now come down heavily on clergy critical of his rule.
Mugabe's government has ordered Reverend Paul Andrianatos, the South African head of the St Andrew's Presbyterian church,
to leave the country because of his sermons critical of the Zimbabwe leader.
Andrianatos told The Sunday Independent that he had been told to leave the country because the Zimbabwe government would not renew his work permit.
The fact that he is married to a Zimbabwean wife will not save him. Andrianatos has not minced his words about Mugabe and recently told a church congregation that only "divine intervention could save Zimbabwe from sliding down the abyss".
On Friday, Andrianatos officiated at the burial of Gloria Olds, a 72-year-old white farmer killed at her farm by assailants believed to be Zimbabwean war veterans.
The priest described her killers as scum and cowards. Andrianatos said it was sad that Mugabe had let Zimbabwe go to ruin because he wanted to remain in power.
Andrianatos, 44, who has worked in Zimbabwe for nine years, said he had received threats from the Central Intelligence Organisation.
