The apostolic church in Zimbabwe is encouraging members to register as voters at the same time the sect leaders say President Robert Mugabe is a king who should not be contested in an election.
The head of the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) Johannes Nyamwa-Ndanga say Mugabe is God given.
Addressing an ACCZ bishops’ conference for peace and voter orientation at Zanu PF headquarters in Harare recently, Ndanga whose ecumenical body is aligned to the party urged members of the apostolic faith sect known as Vapositori to register as voters “to stop Tsvangirai from beating up our old man.”
Ndanga said Tsvangirai was disrespectful of Mugabe because he had chosen to “fight” against an old man.
“Mugabe is our King. Kings are not elected they are installed by God so I urge you to register as voters and show the nation that as Vapositori we are very powerful,” said Ndanga.
Ndanga added: “President Mugabe is being abused by Tsvangirai while we watch. How he (Tsvangirai) young can he contests against him (Mugabe) at the age of 89? Tsvangirai is beating up our old man and we cannot allow that.”
He, however, did not explain the wisdom of voter registration and the subsequent holding of elections when his organisation believed that Mugabe as king cannot be contested.
Ndanga, whose organisation claims a membership of 9 million congregants, said God would punish anyone who votes for Tsvangirai because he abandons the electorate in difficult times.
“God will punish you for supporting Tsvangirai because we voted him into office in 2008 but he ran away when it mattered most. What guarantee is there that he will not run away again this time? Let us rather vote for Zanu PF. We must never rest until Tsvangirai goes,” he said.
Tsvangirai fled to Botswana in the run up to the 2008 presidential runoff when violence targeted at his supporters allegedly by the state machinery erupted.
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