News / National
Mugabe's Zanu-PF panics as Prophet TB Joshua prepares to visit Zimbabwe
23 Apr 2012 at 12:47hrs | Views
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF is panicking over Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's invitation of popular Nigerian prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua (TB Joshua) to attend prayer meetings in the country this year.
The anxiety, reflecting in secretive efforts to "blackmail" the immigration department to deny the Lagos-based evangelist a visa should he decide to come, was exposed through a spurious state media story yesterday claiming that TB Joshua's visit would be used for the MDC's electoral campaigns.
The Daily News alleges that hardliners in Zanu-PF, who are worried that the relationship between TB Joshua and Tsvangirai could give the MDC leader massive support, are already plotting to deny him entry into Zimbabwe. It also comes as the popular preacher's stock has been rising in Zimbabwe and abroad after his February prediction that an old African leader would die within months, and 60 days later, Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika, 78, died of heart failure.
A few days before wa Mutharika's death, TB Joshua announced that the death of an African leader was imminent. Didymus Mutasa, the Zanu-PF secretary for administration, yesterday however stressed that they had no problems with TB Joshua's anticipated arrival in the country even though he was coming on Tsvangirai's invitation.
TB Joshua is expected to be in the country on May 25 for the National Day of prayer.
A top MDC official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Zanu-PF was misleading people into believing that TB Joshua told Tsvangirai he would never lead the country.
The anxiety, reflecting in secretive efforts to "blackmail" the immigration department to deny the Lagos-based evangelist a visa should he decide to come, was exposed through a spurious state media story yesterday claiming that TB Joshua's visit would be used for the MDC's electoral campaigns.
The Daily News alleges that hardliners in Zanu-PF, who are worried that the relationship between TB Joshua and Tsvangirai could give the MDC leader massive support, are already plotting to deny him entry into Zimbabwe. It also comes as the popular preacher's stock has been rising in Zimbabwe and abroad after his February prediction that an old African leader would die within months, and 60 days later, Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika, 78, died of heart failure.
A few days before wa Mutharika's death, TB Joshua announced that the death of an African leader was imminent. Didymus Mutasa, the Zanu-PF secretary for administration, yesterday however stressed that they had no problems with TB Joshua's anticipated arrival in the country even though he was coming on Tsvangirai's invitation.
TB Joshua is expected to be in the country on May 25 for the National Day of prayer.
A top MDC official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Zanu-PF was misleading people into believing that TB Joshua told Tsvangirai he would never lead the country.
Source - Daily News
