Mugabe warned of God's wrath

ZIMBABWE Council of Churches (ZCC) general secretary, Kenneth Mtata has warned President Robert Mugabe of gleefully accepting idolatrous titles from his followers, saying he risks God's wrath of being "struck to death" like the Biblical King Herod.

Mugabe has been "blasphemously" idolised by his followers, including Cabinet ministers with some of them labelling him "Black Jesus", "the anointed Moses", "God ordained" while other ministers have even oddly claimed the geriatric leader will defy nature and not die.

Zanu-PF youth leader, Kudzanayi Chipanga recently went overboard when he declared that "when we go to heaven don't be surprised to see Robert Gabriel Mugabe standing beside God vetting people into heaven. Gushungo, you are an angel".

Mtata, without mentioning names, said such "kind of blasphemous idolatry" is not only dangerous to the nation, but "kills the receiver" in much the same way Herod in the Bible was killed by God for accepting religious titles.

"We hear so many people whether they are artists or whether they are people who are in political parties who address, certain political figures with religious titles, sometimes even giving them titles of God or some vicars or assistants to God.

"This is very scary, this level of blasphemy is very scary but it seems like it is something becoming normal. It is one such example of idolatry in our country where religious titles are given to political figures so that through this kind of praise they can share the benefits of patronage to these people who are praising them," Mtata said in a video posted on the social networking sit Facebook on Friday.

"By the way, this is not very new, we saw it in the Book of Luke, for example, when we read of some people who came and praised Herod and they gave him some religious titles and we read in Luke that the angel of God struck Herod when he was sitting there and he died and he started rotting where he was sitting.

"Idolatry does not only kill the possibility of individuals focusing on the right God but it also kills those that are receiving and enjoying these titles of worship," he added.

Zanu-PF officials, no matter the rank, are not shy to brown-nose Mugabe who is no stranger to being genuflected, especially at public events such as rallies. Early this year, Chipanga said Mugabe's birthday should be celebrated as if it is Christmas Day, because to them, the 93-year-old leader is "The Messiah".