By Taurai Mazwi
….both calling for peace and unity
Religion and politics are intrinsically linked that it’s hard to separate the two. As one author puts it, they are like body parts that cannot be separated. Religion is one’s heart and politics is the outer part of body. The author goes on to say that Religion is the highest human consciousness and Politics is a servant of the people.
The two are related in the sense that the very people in religion are the same people in politics. The church is known to preach the gospel of peace and knows no divisions. According to the church, people are equal in God’s eyes and should live together in harmony. It is for this reason that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is working closely with the church to ensure the developmental agenda of the nation succeeds.
President Mnangagwa has always been preaching the gospel of peace and unity in the country since his inauguration for the development of the nation. He also knows that the foundation of the church’s gospel centres on peace and unity.
It is however funny that MDC leader Nelson Chamisa who claims to be a man of God is pulling in an opposite direction, calling for people to go to the streets and encouraging them to be violent. Not once has he been heard speaking the words of peace and harmony.
He should be instead preaching peace and unity, but rather he is all about violence. Chamisa has pledged that this year is a year of demonstrations by his party members. He knows quite well that his supporters are hooligans and that security forces will act accordingly when things turn ugly, but that does not seem to bother him.
President Mnangagwa, was last week invited by the ZAOGA leader Archbishop Professor Ezekiel Guti, where he gave a sermon stressing the positive contribution churches could make to society. President Mnangagwa quoted Matthew 5 verse 9, saying, “let us be peacemakers. I expect all churches to be identified as transformers of people’s lives, builders of dreams, places and bridges of hope.
“The voice of the church must continue to inspire, motivate, guide and to harness, men, women and the youth as we gird and strengthen ourselves to grow our economy, to rid ourselves of corruption and end poverty,” he said.
President Mnangagwa praised the church for partnering the Government in empowering citizens and responding to national needs.
Church has the responsibility to mould society’s moral values and bring peace among the people, because at the end of the day it is the same church goers who goes to their political party and either exhibit their good or bad traits.
President Mnangagwa also spoke the same words at an Inter-Denominational Council of Churches meeting in December last year at State House, urging churches to be in the forefront of uniting the nation by preaching the gospel of harmony and humility and shun those who make malicious reports about their indigenous motherland.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Churches' patron Bishop Andrew Mutendi pledged that indigenous churches are in support of President Mnangagwa as proven by this past weekend’s gathering where President Mnangagwa was invited. President Mnangagwa applauded indigenous churches for mobilising their congregants to support and unite with Government and the SADC region in the country’s call for the urgent removal of economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.
In October last year, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa spearheaded, a gathering at State House which was attended by more than 1 000 Christians from over 300 church denominations. At the meeting the First Lady implored the nation to be prayerful so as to unlock blessings for peace, development and unity.
One would then wonder why the MDC leader is always going against the tide, preaching anarchy as directed by his party’s western handlers. The embattled party has already indicated its path of sabotaging (kudira jecha) government programmes.
Just last week POLAD met with the American embassy officials to map a way forward in the development of the nation but Chamisa since he is not part of POLAD and does not want to be a part of development for the nation, hence, he chose to run to South Africa to taint the Government of Zimbabwe and look for sympathy he does not deserve.
The Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) which is a platform created by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for all 2018 Presidential candidates who had ideas of how to move the country forward came together, to share ideas.
This is something which Chamisa has aversion for and would rather pursue mayhem. Maybe Chamisa needs to be reminded that united we stand, divided we fall.
