Govt demands cash from churches

Zimbabwe's cash-strapped government, which has failed to come up with a budget, has now become desperate and is moving in to tax churches and non-governmental organisation.

With millions of people turning to Christianity in the last few years, government is said to be looking at ways to make churches prime targets for taxation.

The Daily News was yesterday told that so bad is the cash situation in government that Zimra officials were yesterday visiting churches making inquiries about their sources of income and seeking information on people who make donations.

Zimbabwe's tax agency plans to visit all local churches and non-governmental organisations as part of an investigation into tax evasion.