'Let's pray for Mugabe's continued leadership'

Indigenous churches have been urged to pray for President Mugabe's continued reign and the advancement of his ideas to emancipate the historically marginalised black people in Zimbabwe and the entire African continent.

Addressing hundreds of Zion and Apostolic church members during the official launch of the newly formed Zimbabwe Indigenous Church Leaders Association (Zila) in Masvingo on Sunday, the organisation's founding leader, Bishop Lyphet Matenda, said Zimbabwe was lucky to have a leader like President Mugabe.

Bishop Matenda said Zila fully supports President Mugabe's people-oriented policies as the empowerment of ordinary people was a calling by God.

"We should all pray for our President to have a long life and good health so that he can continue to discharge his duties of leading the mass empowerment of previously marginalised Zimbabweans,'' he said.

"President Mugabe is a unique leader who was anointed by God to lead the people of Zimbabwe from colonial bondage to prosperity. His policies dovetail with the wishes of us as indigenous churches who were looked down upon.

"Our position as indigenous churches is very clear that we are firmly behind President Mugabe and his people-centred policies and we have no apologies for supporting him."

Bishop Matenda challenged indigenous churches to complement Government in developing the country by investing in infrastructure such as schools and hospitals in their areas.

He said it was not the duty of foreign churches only to effect development in areas where they operated, stressing that indigenous churches were supposed to emerge from the shell and leave indelible footprints on the country's infrastructural development map.

Bishop Matenda said indigenous churches fully embraced Zim-Asset, the Government's five-year development plan for socio-economic development.

"We feel that Zim-Asset is the panacea to the socio-economic challenges that are afflicting our nation, but we all need to put our heads together if targets set under Zim-Asset are to be met," he said.

"The biggest asset for the successful implementation of Zim-Asset and meeting its targets is human resources, which means we, the people, are the key drivers of Zim-Asset.''

Bishop Matenda said indigenous churches were supposed to increase their presence in initiating projects that improved the standing of their members.

He said gone were the days when indigenous churches were known for worshipping in forests and mountains, saying they were also supposed to build modern buildings as places of worship and even initiate housing projects for their members.

"Our appeal to Government is that they should also prioritise indigenous churches in the allocation of farms so that we can start our own projects for us to be self-reliant,'' he said.

The inaugural Zila conference came up with a number of resolutions, among them the need for its members to discard old and archaic practices like discouraging immunisation of children.

The Zila conference was attended by bishops and other church leaders from over 70 indigenous churches and those who attended were issued with certificates and medals officially making them Zila members.