Chiwenga warns fake prophets

The era of fake prophets who hide behind the name of God to attack the national leadership and extort money from the public has ended, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has said. He said people should now unite and work towards a Zimbabwe desired by all citizens.

Vice-President Chiwenga made these remarks while addressing thousands of Christians who came to pray with him at his rural homestead in Hwedza following his discharge from hospital where he was receiving thorough medical attention after he was affected by the White City bombing incident.

The Christian community that came to pray with the VP was led by the Roman Catholic Church.

After the White City bombing incident in June, Chiwenga could not receive thorough medical attention at the time as he soldiered on to complete the Zanu-PF campaign trail.

Chiwenga attended a church service and interacted with Zanu-PF members who also came to see him for the first time after his return from South Africa last week before he delivered a speech that lasted more than 30 minutes.

"There are others who are now calling themselves prophets," said Chiwenga.

"Aripo uyo anonzi ani, Talent (Muzuva). That should come to an end today. Zvatoperera pano. We don't have that culture where one moves around attacking leaders under the guise of preaching the word of God. God does not say move around attacking other people.

"We want people to go to church and pray to God. This habit of using the name of the church to extort money is not good. How can you say that on the one hand you are practising Satanism and on the other you say you are a prophet, what kind of a prophecy is that? It's not good and we don't want that.

"Tiri kutaura ini madziChiwenga kuno uku. Tiri kutaura padzinza. Vamwewo vakateerera kuti kuno ndokwazviri. Isu tinorova. So that should end and work towards building the Zimbabwe we want. The Zimbabwe we want is the one we explained that it is endowed with vast minerals. God has blessed us with good soil and we should utilise it to develop our country.

"We are all Zimbabweans from all the corners of the country and no one is superior to the other. Ndozvatakaita musi wa20 November 2017 kuti tinoda kusiya nhaka yekuti vana nevana vazoziva kwete kana inini ndagara zvangu chete ndizvo zvinofanira kufamba. Iwewe sani?"

Chiwenga called for unity of purpose among Zimbabweans. He said there were some who wanted to exploit the current economic challenges for political ends but they would not succeed. "Chikuru kugadzirisa nyaya yehupfumi hwenyika yedu inova vamwe vakufunga kuti zvavo zvaita," said VP Chiwenga.

"Aihwa hapana chaita. Apa tinoda kutauririrana zvakanaka kuti tisaridze ngoma nedemo togara pfumo. Hazviitwe. Ino nyika tichavaka nenzira inogutsa munhu wese. We are going to rebuild this country together to have a Zimbabwe that we all desire. That is what we are working on.

"We don't want people to play games with this country. Several people lost their lives to liberate this country. It does not make sense for one person to accumulate wealth while others are suffering. Where will you enjoy that wealth from? What we want is unity to build the Zimbabwe we want."

Among high-ranking officials who attended the church service were Ministers Perrance Shiri (Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement), Joel Biggie Matiza (Transport and Infrastructural Development), Apollonia Munzverengi (Minister of State for Mashonaland East province), Mr George Charamba (Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet), Politburo members Sydney Sekeramayi and Dr David Parirenyatwa, among others.