Bishop forces followers to dance to Zanu-PF songs

Zanu-PF cleric Bishop Andby Makururu at the weekend forced his congregants to chant ruling party slogans and dance to Mai Welly, a ruling party campaign jingle produced by Chief Hwenje.

Makururu was addressing hundreds of his congregants in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, on Sunday, where Provincial Affairs minister Marian Chombo was the guest of honour.

Makururu, who is the leader of Johannes Fifth of Africa Church, is on a whirlwind tour of the country's 10 provinces meeting his members.

"Who said that we should not do a slogan in church?" Makururu asked rhetorically when NewsDay called him for a comment.

"It is there even in the Bible that we should support our government in power. The government which is there was put in place by the people and if you do not support the ruling government, then there will be no peace in the country."

In her address, Chombo said apostolic sects played a key role in mobilising support for Zanu-PF ahead of the August 23 and 24 polls.

"Churches played a crucial role for our peaceful elections and Bishop Andby Makururu was everywhere in the country praying for peaceful elections," she added

Makururu also caused a storm at the Zanu-PF conference in Gweru recently, where he said they would pray for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to extend his term of office beyond 2028.