Innocent Mujeri
The Holy Bible on 2 Timothy 3 verses 16 to 17 says, ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’. After listening to the recent utterances of the Citizens Coalition for Change (leader) Nelson Chamisa at his party’s rallies, I found it prudent to take it upon myself to teach the youthful Chamisa about how his speech and conduct affect his followers. It is my belief that Chamisa as a pastor, will hearken to this free sermon and repent from his wayward ways before his political career crumples.
As stated on 2 Timothy 3, Chamisa should be rebuked for getting overexcited whenever he is on front of a microphone. He has a worrisome habit of uttering destructive words when he sees a crowd. Chamisa should be corrected for believing that for the country to develop, he should be the one at the helm of the country. Chamisa should be taught that ‘Nyika inovakwa ne vene vayo’ and no outsider will come to develop our nation. He should also be trained to love his country and stop being a willing tool ready for usage by the country’s enemies.
Speaking at his party’s inaugural rally in Highfield on 20 February 2022, Chamisa left his supporters with more questions than answers as he preached messages of hate and violence without providing answers to poor service delivery in urban areas. What was more astonishing was that the message of hate which was coming from a man of the cloth who was supposed to preach peace and tolerance. Maybe Chamisa had forgotten what is written on Titus 1 verse 7 that says,’ for an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.’ Regardless of the platform he might be speaking from, Chamisa must restrain himself and speak against violence. Chamisa should also be a lover of good and be self-controlled as clearly mentioned in the Bible.
It was not only at his rallies that Chamisa preaches violence, but the world knows that in 2018 at the funeral of Morgan Tsvangirai, he incited his allies to threaten Thokozani Khupe and other people. Khupe had to take cover in a hut as the blood thirsty Chamisa loyalists were vying for her blood. This is not the calibre of a leader that Zimbabwe wants. Zimbabwe doesn’t want a leader who resorts to violence to settle political scores. The country needs a leader who shuns violence and embraces even his enemies. As a pastor, I hope Chamisa has read 1 Peter 3 verses 8 to 11 which says, ‘Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it’. Instead of unleashing violence against Khupe, Chamisa should have showed her brotherly love instead of repaying evil with evil.
This past Sunday in Kwekwe, Chamisa again urged his party youths to engage in violence. He was heard shouting on top of his voice saying ‘Ma youths dzorerai’. This was after violent clashes erupted at a CCC rally in Kwekwe where some drunken youths started to beat up other party members. It was expected that Chamisa was supposed to reprimand those who were engaging in violence, but to the surprise of many, he urged the youths to engage in violence. This was contrary to biblical teachings mentioned on 1 Peter 3 which teaches us to keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking deceit. Chamisa is actually overusing his tongue to incite violence and nurture unruly behaviour in his supporters. He has morphed from a young charismatic preacher to a radical who rejoices in the spilling of blood.
As a man who has read the Holy Scriptures, Chamisa should not continue saying God is in support of his political project when he has no love for the country and its leadership. Chamisa should stop attending church service or claim to love God when he has so much hatred for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ZANU PF party. The Holy Bible says on 1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, 'I love God' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who hates his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." How can Chamisa continue to claim that he loves God when has much hatred for those who opposes his kindergarten politics? The truth is that Chamisa is a hypocrite, a deceiver and a liar. He should repent and live according to the dictates of the Holy Bible, if he still wants that title of a pastor.
My advice to Chamisa is that he should fear God and obey his commandments as clearly stated on Ecclesiastes 12 verse 13. He should stop preaching the message of violence and instead preach love and tolerance. He must start to love his country and stop dining with the country’s detractors. He must repent and ask God to exorcise him of the demon of hating his country and its people.
