The Zimbawe Republic Police (ZRP) should arrest all members of white garment churches (apostolic sects), who call themselves Vapositori for ED (VED), for holding political campaigns for the ruling Zanu-PF without police clearance, People's Unity Party (PUP) leader Herbert Chanuka said.
Chamuka said VEP are being coaxed by Zanu-PF to hold political campaigns under the guise of worshiping God, ahead of the forthcoming harmonised elections expected later this year.
Talking to this publication, Chamuka said whenever people are gathered, urging each other to vote for a certain political party without a police clearance like what VEP are doing, it's a political campaign and they should be arrested for that.
"Vapositori for ED are being used by the ruling party Zanu-PF to gather their congregates for political campaigns disguised as church gatherings to worship God.
"Social media is now awash with videos of Vasipotori for ED, encouraging each other to vote for Zanu-PF. Are those not political gathering? As long as they are pushing Zanu-PF agendas forward, it's a political campaign for the ruling party," he said.
The South African based politician Chamuka also said the same Acts that are being used by the police to turn down campaign requests by opposition parties should also be used to ban VED's political campaigns for the ruling party.
"I am wondering if the ZRP is not seeing these Vapositori for ED gatherings without their permission.
"They should arrest them, because what they are doing is against the law.
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"These are political campaigns for the ruling party, so they have to apply for a police clearance first.
"No one is above the law," he said.
Chamuka added that having situations where a certain political party is allowed to hold a campaign without police clearance is a clear indication of collapsing democracy.
"Democracy is dying in this country, only Zanu-PF is now allowed to hold political campaigns, disguised as church gatherings.
"If any opposition tries to do so, it's gets into trouble the very moment they gather.
"So, ZRP should step up it's efforts in making sure that the laws they employ when banning other political parties' campaigns and rallies should also be applicable when dealing with Vapositori for ED," he added.
Meanwhile, teachers across the country have been accusing a Zanu PF shadowy group called Teachers for Economic Development (Teachers for ED) for demanding money from them and schools to fund its workshops, believed to be campaigns for the ruling party.
According to Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), the grouping was forcing teachers and schools to fork out up US$10 AND US$500, respectively.
