Notorious Zanu-PF activist finds God

ONE of ZANU-PF's notorious activists, Fidelis Fengu, is quitting active politics to become a Pentecostal church pastor.

Likening himself to biblical prophet, Daniel, who was  thrown in a den of lions and survived the ordeal unscathed, Fengu has joined a local church called the Living God Ministry International (LGMI) led by Bulawayo cleric, Sisonke Ndlovu, and immediately landed a top position in the church of national spokesman.

"I am sitting on the terraces. I have axes over my neck. I believe that we need a Daniel and Joseph in politics. We need a God-fearing person in ZANU-PF," replied Fengu when asked if he was, in fact, quitting the ruling party forever after he had told the Financial Gazette that had joined LGMI four months ago.

"I am currently in Ghana at a Bible school," he added.

Fengu was convicted of fraud last year at the Harare Magistrates courts and jailed for an effective four months.

He, however, appealed against both conviction and sentence at the High Court, arguing magistrate Elijah Makomo had erred in arriving at the judgment.

The appeal became the basis of his release on bail.

The ruling party activist stands accused of swindling a Chinese national, Shu Xiao Feng, of US$2 000 in a botched residence permit deal.

Initially, the magistrate slapped Fengu with a total of 12-months imprisonment, but eight months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour and restitution of the full amount.

The appeal is still pending at the High Court.

The relaxed bail conditions allow him to travel outside the country.

Although sources indicated that he would be quitting politics altogether, Fengu said he would bounce back as a prophet that ZANU-PF needs so much at the moment.

His erstwhile ZANU-PF comrades have taunted him, saying he is seeking divine intervention in his troubled life which took a downturn in 2014 after he found the cutthroat succession politics playing out in the ruling party too hot to handle.

Fengu was entangled in the enervating ZANU-PF factional and succession wrangles in 2014 when he was accused of hobnobbing with former vice president, Joice Mujuru, who at the time was battling current Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to control the heart and soul of ZANU-PF.

He became one of the hordes of Mujuru allies that were vanquished by the sweeping tide that came in the aftermath of the party's 6th congress of December 2014.

He was then arrested soon after the congress, spending a few days in remand prison before being granted bail by the courts.
He then frantically attempted to bounce back into the party, but discovered that the new factional terrain was unforgiving before turning to God.

Some sources said Fengu was also on the point of starvation when he decided to pack his bags and join the church, although he denied this in an interview with the Financial Gazette.

"That is purely a lie. I made a personal decision to turn to God and repent and it has nothing to do with my financial status, but God's calling," he said.

Fengu said he met pastor Ndlovu during the time he served as special interest councillor for Bulawayo City Council between 2011 and 2013.

He was one of those councillors who were controversially appointed by then local government minister, Ignatius Chombo, to help the ruling party neutralise opposition Movement for Democratic Change's dominance of urban councils.