The ManicaPost
Cletus Mushanawani and Samuel Kadungure
THE Council of Indigenous Churches of Africa (CICA) — which has a membership of over 1 000 churches across the continent — has thrown its weight behind Government, saying they abhor confrontation and prefer offering support to build a bright future for the nation.
One of the biggest African churches, the Johane Marange Apostolic Church which draws its congregants from the length and breadth of Africa with over one million followers, is among those that have fully thrown their weight behind President Mnangagwa and Government.
Speaker after speaker at their annual Passover gathering at Mafararikwa Shrine in Marange last week on Saturday hailed the cordial relationship between the church and Government.
They said the country is in safe hands as its leadership is God-fearing, adding that all the economic and social challenges haunting the nation will soon come to pass, with Zimbabwe emerging as an economic giant.
Some congregants from as far as Angola went further to call on President Mnangagwa to engage other regional leaders and encourage their governments to have cordial relationships with the church.
In response, President Mnangagwa promised to work closely with the church, especially in the education sector.
“As a politician, I have never addressed a gathering as big as this one. The discipline exhibited by the pilgrims gathered here is out of this world. I want to assure everyone here present that we will continue working together with the new High Priest Nimrod Taguta.
“I used to wonder why my late friend, High Priest Noah Taguta who passed away recently, always moved around with High Priest Nimrod, but I now understand that he was the chosen one. People should not look at the youthful High Priest’s stature because he has God’s blessings.
“I can be the President of this country, but I am under the High Priest and l respect him. As Government, we will continue working with the church because it has a role to play in ensuring peace and development in the country. Many people of my age are long gone because of various reasons, but I will continue respecting the church leadership,” said President Mnangagwa.
Johane Marange Apostolic Church spokesperson, Mr Nyasha Marange pledged continuous support to Government and its leadership.
“We will continue working together with Government because the leadership respects churches. As Johane Marange followers, we were humbled by President Mnangagwa’s gesture of being with us during our Passover gathering.
“This shows that he respects the church and we want to assure Government and the ruling Zanu PF of our unwavering support. We also have a role to play in the economic development of this country,hence our investments in the education and agriculture sectors.
“Our relationship with Government and Zanu PF is well documented and we are seeing a lot of infrastructural developments across the country. We recently received computers and printers from President Mngangagwa and we are forever grateful for that,” said Mr Marange.
CICA leader, Bishop John Doriro implored Zimbabweans to reject irresponsible calls to protest, adding that the move will hamper the revival of the country’s economy.
Speaking at the recent hand-over of registration and practicing certificates to Bishop Tarisai Chibango of the Johanni Masowe Chishanu Jerusalem Bethsaida Apostolic Church, Bishop Doriro said: “The church should offer a sense of orientation and a spiritual home to ordinary people, not incite them against a Government that was installed by God.
“God is the one who anointed President Mnangagwa to the throne and He will protect and give him wisdom against such evil machinations. Since assuming power in 2017, the Second Republic’s developmental efforts have had a wide reach, and in that case the church should be a valuable partner, not a detractor.
“Government has played a crucial role in the independence of this country, the reason behind the church’s freedom of worship. This was not the case during the colonial era as black people were not allowed to lead churches in preference of missionaries who were whites,” he said.
Bishop Doriro added: “As we march towards the 2023 harmonised elections, there is concerted propaganda to portray our Government as intolerant, corrupt and abusing human rights. The idea being to instigate hostile nations to maintain illegal economic sanctions that have caused untold suffering to the poor.
“The church should not partake in such evil deeds and instead support the Government of the day for the Bible, which is our Constitution, directs us to do so.”
Bishop Doriro said churches must support Government’s drive to eradicate child marriages, sexual abuse and gender based violence in indigenous churches.
The majority of apostolic sects in the province have earned themselves a bad reputation of promoting a culture that condones the use of violence, abuse of young girls and women and sweeping the cases under the carpet.
Bishop Doriro said CICA will partner Government to uncover abuses in the churches, help victims get justice, counseling and empowerment start-up packs.
The CICA, whose membership include Pentacostal, mainline and white-garment churches and its partners, are also ready to assist the sects to build schools, clinics and universities for the benefit of their members and the communities they operate from.
Bishop Doriro said lack of an oversight structure and succession policy are prominent features in indigenous churches, precipitating factionalism, legal battle and brutal fights when founders or long serving leaders die.
This, he said, injures the name and integrity of the church.
