Apostolic Churches vow to support Mugabe

THE Association of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe (AACZ) yesterday pledged its support for President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF and rebuked prophets prophesying death of the veteran politician.

The association said it had also composed a song lauding Mugabe for his "good deeds".

In an interview on the sidelines of the association's meeting at a hotel in Bulawayo, AACZ president Bishop Tsungai Vushe said: "Those who claim that we are against Zanu-PF are lying because we do not have a single problem with the party. Zanu-PF is not abusing us. For example we support what the president(Mugabe) says about homosexuals being worse than pigs and dogs and we do not want to be led by someone who supports homosexuality."

Vushe said as an association they must not be forced to vote for a certain party because they had a right to choose who to vote for.

He added: "The prophets who prophesy about when the President will die don't know what they are saying because they were not there when the President was going through all struggles to attain independence for the country."

He said the association had also released a song on compact disc titled Mauya Baba praising, thanking and honouring Mugabe for his "good deeds".

Earlier, AACZ members took to the streets of Bulawayo's central business district demonstrating against the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) for failing to grant Apostolic sect churches stands for the construction of their churches, but merely banned open air worship.

AACZ Bulawayo provincial chairperson Josiah Ndlovu said the local authority either rejected the apostolic churches' applications for stands or delayed to respond which frustrated them so much.

"We are sick and tired of being regarded as churches that worship in the bushes or mountains," he said. "We want buildings so as to earn respect, but the city council is not granting us stands."

AACZ national spokesperson Abisha Matsika said it was surprising that BCC was giving out stands to other churches and some now had up to four stands in one location, but sidelined apostolic churches.

"If the city council refuses to listen to us, we will continue worshipping under trees, on mountains and near burst sewers and that will be a threat to the environment as lack of hygiene will be a health threat," he said. " All we want is the freedom to worship in respectable places such as buildings."

But Bulawayo mayor Thaba Moyo yesterday said the matter would be looked into once the association formally submitted its complaint to council.

"That is the first time I am hearing that their applications for stands are rejected," he said.

"However, it is such a positive move that they finally realise that it is wrong to worship under trees and on mountains.We will look into their complaint."