'Open-air worshipping has been politicised'

BULAWAYO City Council has claimed that it is failing to control open air worshipping because the practice has been politicised.

Zanu-PF has tried to woo indigenous churches who often use open spaces to worship as the country fast approaches harmonised elections.

According to a report of the Health, Housing and Education Committee that was due to be tabled at a full council meeting last night, councillors said they were finding it strange that religious sects were not taking up stands that had been set aside for churches by the local authority.

Councillor Ephraim Ncube raised the issue, saying the sprouting of churches that worship in open air spaces, including in the bush, is due to politicisation of the matter.

Town clerk Middleton Nyoni said it was necessary to find why there were now more open air worshippers.

Nyoni said religious organisations had been offered use of municipal facilities - but had declined the offer.

Council, at one point, resorted to imposing $20 fines on people caught worshiping in open-air venues in a bid to stop them, but the campaign failed.

The practice is in violation of Bulawayo by-laws of 1975, Protection of Lands and Natural Resources, section 27(b), he said