PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has rewarded one of the biggest indigenous churches, the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), with a tractor and other agricultural inputs for overwhelmingly voting for him and his party in the July 30 elections.
By Tatenda Chitagu
This is one of the many presents gifted to the church, whose leader, Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, is an ardent supporter of the ruling Zanu PF party. Mnangagwa visited the church before elections soliciting for votes and promised to come back after the polls.
Mnangagwa also donated a tonne of maize seed, five tonnes of top dressing fertiliser and five tonnes of compound D fertiliser to the church.
ZCC has a following estimated at hundreds of thousands.
Mnangagwa, who was the guest of honour at a function to celebrate church leader, Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi’s birthday at Mbungo Estates on Sunday, said he had come back to say ‘thank you’ to the church members.
“I had been invited for a birthday celebration, but I did not know it was going to be this big. Anyway, let me take this opportunity to thank you for voting me into power. I thank you. As President, I will support you on everything that you do to build this country. ZCC has done a lot to uplift the economy, and there are more programmes from them in the pipeline,” he said.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Ezra Chadzamira also admitted that Zanu PF in Masvingo would be poorer without the ZCC.
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“If we do not have the ZCC, we are incomplete as Zanu PF,” Chadzamira said.
Mnangagwa also promised the nation that he would overcome the economic problems bedevilling the nation.
“Yes, we have our own problems; it is just like when a lady is delivering, the nurses will tell her to push. But after that, the mother celebrates the kid. The same applies in the country. Let’s push. We may have issues, but let’s unite. Better days are to come.
“Do not be afraid even if you have many problems because God is on our side, we will overcome. Just like the Israelites on their journey to Canaan, some among them thought of going back to Egypt. Even today, among our midst, we have those that want to take the country back to Egypt,” he said.
Mutendi equated Mnangagwa to the modern day Joshua, saying he would take Zimbabweans to Canaan. He also described First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa as “The Mother Theresa of Africa”.
“Those who preach about demonstrations, they have not yet seen the light of God. Those who love their country preach peace. Zimbabwe is a house. If we have conflicts, we cannot prosper. We can’t plan wars and conflicts, but rather have unity. Let’s preach love and tolerance,” Mnangagwa said.
