President Robert Mugabe has urged Zimbabweans to be wary of false prophets and fake traditional healers who are swindling people of their hard-earned cash on the pretext that they will bring them fortunes.

Speaking at the burial of  retired general Solomon  Mujuru, who died in a mysterious fire at his farm last Monday night, President Mugabe said Zimbabwe is now flooded with people who claim to hold powers of prophecy and spiritual healing.

He said some pastors are  being received with tremendous enthusiasm and excitement, yet they are leading people astray and robbing them of their dollars.

President Mugabe said exorcists and witch hunters calling themselves tsikamutanda were also spreading terror  among people in parts of the country claiming that they can provide solutions to social and economic problems.

“We now have many of pastors claiming that they can do prophesy. They have so many dreams about me. I, however, pretend to listen to them when they tell me about these dreams, but deep down I know they are liars,” he said amid applause and laughter from the thousands of mourners.

President Mugabe further drew laughter when he said some of the pastors  prophesized to him that he would win elections, yet the very same pastors and n’angas  (traditional healers)  have also prophesized that  his rival and current Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai also would win elections.

“ Why is God talking through  these people and not to me, the affected person?” he asked. “Myself as a Catholic I pray to God everyday and sometime I get blessings.  In my house I no longer like people who come to me to tell me that they have  dreams and prophecies about me. We can talk about other things but not these issues of dreams.”

President Mugabe revealed to the mourners that Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury who is the head of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, is visiting Zimbabwe soon to meet him over the Anglican Church saga. Mugabe, however, previously criticized Williams for accepting homosexuality. 

The Anglican Province of Central Africa is embroiled in a bitter legal battle with excommunicated bishop of Harare, Nolbert Kunonga who is holding on to Church properties after he was recently granted temporary custodianship by the Supreme Court.

Bishop Kunonga who has divided the Anglican Church in Harare Diocese has since kicked out Anglican Bishop of Harare Chad Gandiya and his priests from church properties.

The president also preached for peace and called for an end to political violence in the country.