Mnangagwa to pay Prophet Wimbo courtesy call

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is today expected to pay a courtesy call on the prophet — popularly known as Mudzidzi Wimbo (Wimbo) — who prophesied that he "needed assistance" for him to become Zimbabwe's leader.

Following the October 2015 prophecy, the 75-year-old politician dramatically assumed power from deposed Robert Mugabe, who had led Zimbabwe for 37 years, after a military-shepherded "Operation Restore Legacy" in November last year.

Yesterday, Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs minister Martin Dinha told the Daily News that Mnangagwa will be meeting Mudzidzi Wimbo — real name Aaron Mhukuta — who leads the Johanne Masowe weVadzidzi apostolic church.

"He is coming here and we are preparing for the visit...and this again is yet another message to the so-called new alliance between (former vice president Joice) Mujuru and Grace (Mugabe) that they will not succeed," he said, adding "we are now breathing fresh air in Mashonaland Province".

"This visit puts a nail on the coffin for Generation 40 faction... Mashonaland Central is proud to host the province," Dinha said.

Party insiders told this paper that Mnangagwa will be at Wimbo's shrine and is expected to "receive blessings" from the enigmatic church leader, who is regarded in high esteem by those inclined to spiritualism in the ruling Zanu-PF.

In the summer visit, Mnangagwa was told by the frail Wimbo — said to have predicted Mugabe's ascendency to president in 1957, way before the country's independence — to follow him around the shrine, even though the 95-year-old prophet had initially said that he was neither going to speak nor perform any duties, before he started to prophesy while in some kind of trance.

Then, Wimbo walked with so much difficulty that it required two men to support him as he hobbled around the shrine, with Mnangagwa following.

Speaking through an interpreter, Wimbo said: "Anoda kubatsirwa, angazvigona seiko ari oga. Handizive kuti ndoita zvipiko. Vari kunditeera nditeverei nekuno (Mnangagwa needs help as he can't do anything on his own. I don't know what I should do to help him)."

Fast forward to November last year, Mnangagwa was down and out, and only returned home from exile riding on the coattails of the military which rolled tanks into the streets and besieged homes of his rivals in the dismantled G40 faction, including Mugabe's heavily fortified "Blue Roof" private mansion.