12 Facts About Pius Ncube

Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube was born on 31 December 1946 and served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, until he resigned on 11 September 2007.

Widely known for his human rights advocacy, Ncube was an outspoken critic of former President Robert Mugabe while he was in office.

Archbishop Pius Ncube received a Human Rights Award from Human Rights First on 23 October 2003 for speaking out against torture and confronting the Mugabe government for starving certain regions of Zimbabwe for political reasons.

Pius Ncube has received many death threats for his activities.

Pius Ncube is a member of Zimbabwe's minority Ndebele ethnic group.

Archbishop Pius Ncube's open call for an unconstitutional uprising shows he is an instrument of the West's illegal regime change agenda.

Pius Ncube was reported to have been involved with Rosemary Sibanda, estranged wife of Onesimus Sibanda, a Bulawayo resident.

Pius Ncube mentioned that this was meant to "spare my fellow Bishops and the body of the Church any further attacks".

Pius Ncube however stressed that he would remain a "Catholic Bishop in Zimbabwe", and would continue to "speak out on the issues that sadly become more acute by the day" in Zimbabwe.

Pius Ncube mentioned that Britain would be justified in invading its former colony to rid it of Mugabe 1 July 2007.

Pius Ncube said Zimbabweans themselves should overthrow the government, but they are too scared.

Pius Ncube later distanced himself from the report, saying that the Thabo Mbeki-brokered efforts to end the crisis in Zimbabwe should be given a chance to work.