Thabani Mpofu against Tagwirei's influence in SDA

Growing frustration is simmering within the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church amid accusations that the institution is being used as a political platform by ZANU-PF benefactor Kudakwashe Tagwirei. The businessman and newly appointed member of ZANU-PF's Central Committee has been donating goods to several churches where political figures, including Minister of Sports and Culture Anselem Sanyatwe, have delivered politically charged speeches. This has sparked unrest among church members who argue that the church's pulpit should remain free of political influence.

Thabani Mpofu, a well-known lawyer and committed SDA church member, has taken a strong stance against the church leadership for allowing what he describes as a desecration of the sacred pulpit. Through his lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, Mpofu submitted a formal complaint to the church authorities, citing that Minister Sanyatwe's political remarks during an evangelical campaign in Inyanga, organised by Tagwirei, violated the church's statutes and damaged its spiritual mission.

The complaint highlights that Sanyatwe's declaration that ZANU-PF would rule Zimbabwe indefinitely was inappropriate and degraded the church's standing. Mpofu further accused senior pastors and the presidents of the Zimbabwe Evangelical Union of Churches (ZEUC) and the Evangelical Zimbabwe Conference (EZC), who were present during the event, of failing in their duty to intervene and protect the sanctity of the pulpit. According to Mpofu, this failure to act has left him deeply puzzled and concerned about the church's direction.

The complaint also points out that the political use of the pulpit contradicts various governance documents including the SDA Church Manual, the constitutions of ZEUC and EZC, the SID Working Policy, and the Holy Scriptures that the church upholds. Mpofu insists that such incidents reduce the SDA Church to a political tool and undermine its spiritual objectives, especially when they occur on the holy Sabbath during evangelical activities.

Tagwirei's growing influence within the church and his close ties to ZANU-PF leadership have reportedly caused divisions among congregants, with some viewing his donations and political associations as compromising the church's neutrality. Rumours about Tagwirei's presidential ambitions have further complicated the situation, though he has neither confirmed nor denied these reports.

In his complaint, Mpofu demands a formal apology from the church presidents addressed both to him and the broader church community, acknowledging their failure to uphold their responsibilities. He calls for a firm commitment that the church pulpit will no longer be used for political purposes, along with a public statement clarifying what conduct is expected within the church. Additionally, he urges the church leadership to immediately cease associating with the personal and political ambitions of its members and challenges the current church presidents to justify why they should remain in their positions given their failure to prevent the pulpit's misuse.

As tensions escalate, the SDA Church finds itself at a crossroads, pressured to reaffirm its spiritual mission and address the growing internal dissent caused by political interference within its ranks.