Mnangagwa aborts rally; as Zim churches parallelly suspended

Despite attending unrestricted Zion Christian Church's annual Passover (Easter gathering) festivity in Mbungo last weekend during the period when cholera outbreak is reportedly at its peak, President Emmerson Dambudzo (ED) Mnangagwa has indefinitely canceled his much-awaited rally in Mashonaland Central this month on mere Ministry's prevention pretext cautionary letter, a clear practical testimony of how selective application of health protocols are bypassed or deliberately ignored by those who wield power and authority in Zimbabwe.

The much-awaited "Thank You" rally in Mashonaland Central was organised as an appreciation for the province's performance during last year's general elections where Zanu-Pf garnered all seats in the national assembly whilst the opposition scored none.

Be that as it maybe, President Mnangagwa shockingly canceled his supposed rally thereby selling a dummy using the Ministry of Health letter as a scapegoat to excuse himself from factional fights which have threatened to tear the ruling Zanu-Pf apart including powerful apostolic churches in the same province.

"Mashonaland Central province is currently experiencing a cholera outbreak with cases reported in all the districts in the province," Mashonaland Central Provincial Medical Director, Dr C. Tshuma said in a letter.

The letter further reads that, in view of the rise in cholera cases and deaths reported and in consultation with other stakeholders, several emergency response measures have been put in place to minimise spread of the scourge.

"Church camps during the Easter holidays are temporarily suspended. No Easter conferences, no all night prayer church services to be held in the province," Tshuma warned.

"All church gatherings to constitute only local people, from within the same district and church services are limited to three hours duration," Tshuma added.

"Ordinary church services are to be monitored by a hygiene promoter identified within the church who will make sure there is access to safe water, sufficient toilets and disinfectants, hand-washing facilities with soap and advocate for good hygiene practice during the gathering," the letter further reads.

Mnangagwa recently attended a mega annual gathering at Zion Christian Church (ZCC) at Mbungo (Masvingo Province) where several congregants, political elites, people of questionable characters, opinion leaders and influencers drawn from several provinces and countries converged. The gathering had high risk of people contracting cholera, but the authorities were preferably enjoying last good Friday, supper and sabbath to make the end of month of March on a high note.

Whilst everyone seemingly has the constitutional rights, freedoms and priviledges to spend their wealth as they wish, Wicknell " Aquaman" Chivhayo splashed over a million United States Dollars during ZCC's annual festivity, with reported cases of defecation in Masvingo being rife and expose congregants risking to contract cholera. This has lead some sources requesting and appealing that, by the same mercy that the President and his entourage used to clear the ZCC event to proceed, it should also be considered that leaders should not have canceled their event on the eleventh hour.