Vapostori, Chivhayo fights over Mnangagwa's audience split ZANU-PF

HARARE - The fight for President Emmerson Mnangagwa's audience (favour and attention) between controversial tenderpreneur, Wicknell Chivayo and Vapostori nemaZion for Economic Development (VED) leader, Madzibaba Moses Gwanzura has escalated and threatens to split ruling Zanu-PF support, with the latter claiming Chigananda is a heathen who even failed to convince and convert his wife to become an ardent Christian who genuinely adheres to apostolic principles.

Tearing into Wicknell Chivayo and describing him as part of crooks bent on name-dropping President Emmerson Mnangagwa amongst apostolic churches to instill panic, Gwanzura fumed that the tenderpreneur is threatening the ruling party's support base.

Speaking during the three-day prayer wrap-up in Harare, Gwanzura also expressed apostolic churches' quest to participate in bidding for government tenders than awarding other non-deserving candidates of questionable characters.

"Kana muchinzwa kuti pane vapostori varikupiwa mari neumwe anozviti mupostori, ayihwa hatina mupostori kana mumwechete akawana mota uye munhu iyeye haanamate. Tinotomadawo maTender aari kupiwa iwawo achingozviti iye ega ndiye mwana waBaba Mnangagwa, udzayi vanhu chokwadi kuti hamunamati imimi kungopfeka magemenzi echipostori asi makasviba (If you come across any claim that apostolic church leaders have been rewarded with vehicles by that man who claim to be a true christian congregating under apostolic banner and beliefs, he is a pathetic liar, we didn't received any dime or gift from Chivhayo and he is not part of us as he claims on social media. We are also eager to be awarded tenders which he is enjoying and his boastful claims that he is the only one who has monopoly over President's Mnangagwa's attention and audience. Please tell people the truth, you are neither a christian nor a true apostolic believer. You are just a heathen masquerading as mupostori)" Gwanzura said.

"Akaroora akatadza kutendeutsa kana mukadzi wake chaiye. Mukadzi waayinaye haazive kurara pamwechete nevamwe paZoto kana kutevedza chipostori nemiko inofanira kutevedzerwa pachinanato (You got married and failed to even convince and convert your wife to attend a single apostolic church service. Your wife couldn't congregate with other women and fellowship with them while adhering to basic apostolic principles and tenets according to our genuine beliefs)," he added.

"Muudze President kuti Vapostori chaivo vanokudayi hapana kana chavainacho uye varombo asi vacharamba vachivhotera paZanu-pf nguva nenguva pese pese. Vanovharira vamwe Vapostori kuti vauye kukuonayi kuState House kuti vazvitaurire zviri kunetsa mapostori chaiwo chaiwo. Hapana patakambopiwa any borehole sevapostori munyika yese. Havana vanhu uye havasi vanamati, mukavaona vauya kwamuri vachiti vanomiririra isusu ayihwa havasi vanamati, vahedheni ngavabatwe vasungwe nekuti varikuba nekutora zvinhu zvemapostori vachishandisa mazita evamwe kuti vakumbe zviwanikwa (Tell President Mnangagwa that genuine apostolic leaders and their followers' love and support for you is not materialistic, but genuine and true love. Though they are wailing in abject poverty, they will continue voting Zanu-pf into power. They block other apostolic leaders to get access to you at State House and we didn't benefit any borehole from the schemes that the government has availed countrywide. They are not genuine and if you heard them claiming that they represent our interest of followers, arrest them since they are abusing our names to amass wealth and gain undeserving favour," Gwanzura further fumed.

"Hatina kana mota yatakawana kana tender sevapostori kana makambonzwa kuti pane mapostori apiwa mota kana tender kana mari hatina. Tikawanawo zvima tender, mota kana mari ndozviziva kuti kune vamwe vanotaura zvekunyepa apa tiri kushaya transport yekufambisa kuenda kumisangano asi nekuda chinamato chedu uye Zanu-pf tinoshandisa zvishoma zvatiinazvo kuparidza kunaka kweZanu-Pf tisina tarisiro yezviwanikwa asi mutudo. Vaya mukavati unganidzayi vanhu havaunganidze, mukadzi wake chaiye ukamubvunza kuti aripi anoti haadi kuuya kuChurch (We didn't received any vehicle or financial gifts from those purporting to be genuine apostolic fellows who are flaunting wealth from tenderpreneurship. We are struggling to congregate together due to extreme poverty and lack of transport resources whilst they brag about empowering apostolic churches. With the little that we have and our genuine love for Zanu-pf, we steadfastly stand to defend it within financial motives, and they lied to you that they command following for the ruling party, whilst in reality they don't have anyone following them, its just social media hype. To prove that all of them are heathens, if you ask him during church service if she could attend a single gathering, he will tell you that she do not want to come for the normal and main services)," he further repeated the claims.

Meanwhile, churches have raised concern over other mushrooming church-related Economic Development (ED) affiliates which they label money-spining caucases targeting to extort money from politicians.

Information from reliable sources claim that Mnangagwa has on several occasions turned down invitations and snubbed some affiliates at eleventh hour which inflate figures of their following (numbers that they command and determine support).

"President Mnangagwa has been on several occasions turned down invitations upon realisation that some organisations especially those purporting to be Economic Development-related affiliates. He recently withdraw his supposed attendance during an event organised by greedy elements who broke away from well known church affiliates," the source claimed.

"The President had to cancel his scheduled visits amongst breakaway organisations claiming they may dwindle the party's support base. Minister Lovemore Matuke (Mnangagwa's Intelligence Minister) once called him (Mnangagwa) recently to withdraw from officiating an event at Zanu-pf headquarters, advising him that the organisers command little disgruntled followers. His supposed attendance would therefore dent on the ruling party's popularity and could ultimately impact on 2028 electoral outcome (decline in support)," the source added.