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War vet Jabulani Sibanda delivers powerful sermon
17 Jun 2014 at 12:54hrs | Views
Jabulani Sibanda is best remembered for the unsavoury.
He led Zanu-PF campaigns in Masvingo and with the finesse of a hardened foot soldier, he delivered constituencies to the ruling party, albeit through violent threats, his opponents say.
But there is more to this sharp-tongued war veteran. He is no saint, but a captivating preacher whose deep knowledge of the Bible left many spellbound.
Deep in Guruve, a downtrodden land, tucked away from the public glare, Sibanda, standing in for Labour minister Nicholas Goche, had the crowd literally eating out of the palm of his hand as he preached the gospel.
On Sunday, over 1 000 members of Habakkuk Apostolic Faith Mission congregated as they unveiled tombstones in memory of the church's founding fathers and mothers. And there in the thick of things, was Sibanda.
"I know some churches hate war veterans because they accuse us of being violent," he said in a moment of commeupance.
"But I still go to their churches and sit at the back and hear what the pastor would be saying, because we are God's people who are going to heaven and know his word," Sibanda said.
He began his sermon by chiding Zanu-PF youths who had chanted party slogans at the church.
"Imi vapfana munoziva Zanu-PF. Zanu-PF haiite zvemaparty slogans kuchurch. Kana tiri kuchurch tinoita zvaMwari kwete zvemaslogans," he said.
The moving sermon was hinged on Zephania 3 verse 10.
Sibanda said Africans were looking down upon themselves and this was against the word of God.
"For God said beyond the rivers of Ethiopia lie my people," Sibanda said.
"He never said beyond Mississippi in America there lie my people, no. He never said beyond the great rivers of Germany, France, Iran, Iraq or England there lie my people, no. But God told Zephania that Africans were his people and I wonder why Africans look down upon themselves when they are God's people," said the war veterans' leader amid ululation and clapping by the congregants.
Sibanda said people have a proclivity of following what they see and not what they are taught at churches.
"God said follow what you are taught and not what you see because the eye loves sin," he said.
"We have a lot of men who have died because they left behind their wives and children and went and searched kumaAvenues zvinhu zvinofadza meso avo," he said.
"Kumagrowth point nekumabhawa vasikana vanoziva kuti varume havaendi ikoko kunomwa doro. Vanoziva kuti vanenge vechitsvaga zvinhu zvinofadza meso avo ndosaka vachipfeka maminiskirts," added Sibanda as the congregants burst into laughter.
He led Zanu-PF campaigns in Masvingo and with the finesse of a hardened foot soldier, he delivered constituencies to the ruling party, albeit through violent threats, his opponents say.
But there is more to this sharp-tongued war veteran. He is no saint, but a captivating preacher whose deep knowledge of the Bible left many spellbound.
Deep in Guruve, a downtrodden land, tucked away from the public glare, Sibanda, standing in for Labour minister Nicholas Goche, had the crowd literally eating out of the palm of his hand as he preached the gospel.
On Sunday, over 1 000 members of Habakkuk Apostolic Faith Mission congregated as they unveiled tombstones in memory of the church's founding fathers and mothers. And there in the thick of things, was Sibanda.
"I know some churches hate war veterans because they accuse us of being violent," he said in a moment of commeupance.
"But I still go to their churches and sit at the back and hear what the pastor would be saying, because we are God's people who are going to heaven and know his word," Sibanda said.
He began his sermon by chiding Zanu-PF youths who had chanted party slogans at the church.
"Imi vapfana munoziva Zanu-PF. Zanu-PF haiite zvemaparty slogans kuchurch. Kana tiri kuchurch tinoita zvaMwari kwete zvemaslogans," he said.
The moving sermon was hinged on Zephania 3 verse 10.
Sibanda said Africans were looking down upon themselves and this was against the word of God.
"For God said beyond the rivers of Ethiopia lie my people," Sibanda said.
"He never said beyond Mississippi in America there lie my people, no. He never said beyond the great rivers of Germany, France, Iran, Iraq or England there lie my people, no. But God told Zephania that Africans were his people and I wonder why Africans look down upon themselves when they are God's people," said the war veterans' leader amid ululation and clapping by the congregants.
Sibanda said people have a proclivity of following what they see and not what they are taught at churches.
"God said follow what you are taught and not what you see because the eye loves sin," he said.
"We have a lot of men who have died because they left behind their wives and children and went and searched kumaAvenues zvinhu zvinofadza meso avo," he said.
"Kumagrowth point nekumabhawa vasikana vanoziva kuti varume havaendi ikoko kunomwa doro. Vanoziva kuti vanenge vechitsvaga zvinhu zvinofadza meso avo ndosaka vachipfeka maminiskirts," added Sibanda as the congregants burst into laughter.
Source - dailynews
