Tsvangirai MDC's bid to hijack prayer meeting backfires

THE MDC-T's plans to hijack a prayer meeting scheduled for Zimbabwe Grounds came unstuck yesterday after more than 300 pastors from various churches and gospel singers abandoned a prayer meeting they intended to hold on Sunday on learning the MDC-T was advertising it as a political rally.

Sources close to developments say the MDC-T wanted to capitalise on the prayer session to rejuvenate its waning political fortunes following the ruling Zanu-PF party's resounding victory in all the 16 constituencies in the by-elections held on Wednesday.

The prayer session was organised by the Pastors Fellowship in Zimbabwe and was aimed at addressing several ills affecting the country including abuse of school children and rampant divorces.

Coordinator of the Pastors Fellowship in Zimbabwe Rev Watson Furayi confirmed that their programme was hijacked by MDC-T after it booked the same venue, ostensibly to hold a rally on the same day.

MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu, tried to dismiss his party's nefarious plan to hijack the prayer session last night, but was exposed by his colleague Mr Job Sikhala who posted on his Facebook page confirming that the MDC-T, together with other political parties would sneak into the prayer session.

Mr Gutu dismissed Rev Furayi's position as fabrication premised on a sinister motive.

"There is nothing like that. We are a God-fearing political party and the last people we would want to pick a fight with is the church, and we will never do anything to quarrel with them. Anyone who is saying that is trying to fabricate things and they have a sinister motive," said Mr Gutu.

Rev Furayi said, they wanted to pray for journalist-cum-political activist Itai Dzamara who disappeared three months ago.

"We have planned that event but it has been hijacked by politicians," he said.

"As of now, there is chaos because police have told us that MDC-T has also applied for the same venue to hold their rally so we have decided to postpone the event to a later date.

"We were shown a letter at Southerton Police Station signed by MDC-T organising secretary for Harare confirming that they have also applied for the same venue to hold their rally.

"As the church, we realised that we will tarnish our name if we proceed with the event in case we decide to host the event together with MDC-T because at the end of the day, we will be labelled as MDC-T people.

"Our agenda will not be spelt out well. If we want to invite political parties we will invite all political parties in the country."

Rev Furayi said he was later told that the MDC-T had withdrawn its application, but insisted they were no longer going to proceed with the event.

He said they invited Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave and Blessing Shumba and other supporting groups to the event.

However, Fungisai last night told The Herald that she was made to understand that it was going to be a national prayer, but she chickened out after realising that the event had some political undertones.

"When I was invited I was told that it is going to be a national prayer day, but somehow I learnt that it was political, so I turned down the invitation," she said.

"There is some information circulating on the social media that I have confirmed that I will participate at the event but I am not part of that because I have since learned that it was not a national prayer I thought it was."

Posting on his Facebook page Mr Sikhala said: "This coming Sunday, the 14th of June is the great day for all Zimbabweans of all walks of life who shall gather in their tens of thousands for the Itai Dzamara National Prayer at the Zimbabwe Grounds organised by churches and civic society organisations in Zimbabwe.

"The prayer gathering shall be graced by different church organisations, all civic society organisations in Zimbabwe, all political leaders in Zimbabwe and all diplomats in Africa and continental based in Zimbabwe. The organisers of the event have so far obtained 95 percent confirmation attendance by diplomats based in Zimbabwe, all political leaders in the country except for David Coltart whom they said was not returning his calls for attendance confirmation as he has a story to share with the world over the abduction and disappearance of his Election Agent Nabanyana in 2002 presidential elections up to the present day."

MDC-T is not new to such controversy as in 2007 it tried to capitalise on the death of its activist Gift Tandare.