Mugabe fails to rescue 'abducted succession' prophet

The ministerial team tasked by President Robert Mugabe to rescue "abducted" popular prophet Madzibaba Wimbo - real name Aaron Mhukuta - has apparently failed in their mandate.

Wimbo, his family claims, was allegedly taken against his will by senior army officials, allegedly pushing for Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa's presidential ambitions, in a bid to force a succession prophecy by the frail 94-year-old prophet.

The prophet, who leads the secretive Johane Masowe Vadzidzi Vajesu apostolic sect, is popular for prophesying in 1957 that a person named after angel Gabriel would become Zimbabwe's president.

While there is no documented evidence to prove enigmatic Wimbo's prophecy, it came to pass as Mugabe - whose second name is Gabriel - led independent Zimbabwe.

Last month, following a meeting with Wimbo's family and church officials linked to the abduction, Mugabe dispatched a Cabinet committee, led by State Security minister Kembo Mohadi, to investigate the matter and facilitate the prophet's release.

But one of Wimbo's sons, Abinashen Gomo, told the Daily News on Sunday that almost a month after the team - that included Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and their provincial counterpart Martin Dinha - visited Wimbo's shrine in Madziwa, his father remained in "captivity".

"The president told us that the committee he had set up was supposed to lead to the release of my father to us but when they came, they just informed us that they were going back to brief Mugabe and never came back so father is still being held there at the shrine," Gomo said.

"We have not made any attempts to see him again because the shrine is still a no go area for us and nothing has changed even with the president's intervention.

"We don't know if the committee will come back and give us our father or not".

Ironically, Mugabe was reportedly livid after spending several hours in a closed-door meeting with Wimbo's family, which briefed him about the alleged involvement of senior army officials.

Wimbo's family is unequivocal that the deadly factional and succession wars that are devouring Zanu-PF and pitting Mnangagwa's supporters against young and ambitious party members who go by the moniker Generation 40 (G40), was the reason why the elderly prophet had been "abducted" in a desperate bid to get his blessing.

Last year, Mnangagwa visited Wimbo at his shrine and got involved in a bizarre church rite, with the popular prophet telling the gathering that the VP needed help to ascend to the presidency.

Mnangagwa was told by Wimbo, also known as Mudzidzi Majinesta, that it was time that he got others to help him in his ambitions.

Wimbo, who initially had said he was not going to speak, sat slouched in a sofa as Mnangagwa delivered his speech on that visit, and suddenly changed his mind and ordered the embattled VP into his holy ground, while starting to prophesy in a trance.

Through an interpreter, Wimbo said, "Anoda (Mnangagwa) kubatsirwa, angazvigona seiko ari oga. Handizive kuti ndoita zvipiko. Varikunditevera nditeverei nekuno. (The man needs help, he is helpless on his own).

However, the prophecy was so brief and cryptic that it left many in suspense.