Staff Reporter
Churches have a critical role to play in the economic development of the country and should focus on projects that compliment Government’s efforts to uplift people lives.
This was said by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the 5th edition of the Annual National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service in Bulawayo yesterday, where he also called upon churches to entrench a culture of hard honest work among its congregants to ensure the country’s development.
“Under the Second Republic, all of us have a role to play. As we go into 2022, I call upon the church to redouble its development initiatives and focus on projects that will augment my Government’s efforts to lift many of our people out of poverty and into prosperity. Faith without works is dead. The Church must therefore entrench a culture of hard honest work among its congregants,” said the President.
The President added that apart from the church and Government, every Zimbabwean has a duty to pursue initiatives that will modernise, industrialise and grow the country’s economy for sustainable development.
President Mnangagwa further commended efforts by the Church in Zimbabwe to reverse the damage done to the economy and added that gone were the days where we were taught a doctrine of poverty.
“I commend the efforts by the Church in Zimbabwe to reverse the damage done to the economy and the livelihoods of our people through biased doctrines and religious systems of the colonial period. Gone are the days when we accepted a theology that taught us that our economic fortunes here on earth are of no consequence as happiness is reserved in Heaven,” said the President.
President Mnangagwa reiterated that ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’ and said that developmental activities taking place in various places of the country are being financed by our local resources. He said that he was thankful to God for granting the Government wisdom to pursue policies and implement successful projects despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the illegal economic sanctions.
The President added that he was saddened by the death of Apostle Abel Sande and Father Emmanuel Ribeiro who died during the course of the year. He described the duo as heroes of faith and called upon those who were in attendance to observe a minute of silence.
Yesterday’s Thanksgiving Prayer was done under the theme, ‘Pursuing Nation Building Initiatives in the Spirit of Godly Patriotism, Ownership, Unity and Inclusiveness’.
