THE Zimbabwe Council of Churches on Saturday celebrated 50 years of existence at a function held in Harare.

The event was attended by various Christian denominations in the country.

ZCC, an umbrella body of church organizations in the country, was formed on July 29, 1964.

In an interview, ZCC Chairperson, Solomon Zwana said the church had played a critical role in nation building in the country.

He said that since its formation, the ZCC has been involved in a number of charity activities as well as developmental projects that have gone a long way in improving the lives of ordinary people in the country.

Zwana said the role of the church in nation building should not be under-estimated adding that the ZCC played a critical role in fighting oppressive governments since its formation.

“We are celebrating 50 years of existence as a council of churches. The ZCC was formed in the midst of many challenges which included repressive laws as well as the under-development of African states. So the ZCC was formed to address some of these challenges and spearhead development of African states,” said Zwana.

He challenged the church in Zimbabwe to continue playing a critical role in encouraging reconciliation.

“During the Lancaster House negotiations which Led to the independence of Zimbabwe, we had a reconciliation committee that represented the church so all this just goes to show the critical role that churches in Zimbabwe can play as far as nation building is concerned,” said Zwana.