THE Second Republic’s culture of giving democratic space to churches and collaborating with other institutions that champion peace has been a key ingredient to the prevailing peace in Zimbabwe as was witnessed during the recent harmonised elections, President Mnangagwa has said.
Further, in line with the mantra, “nyika inovakwa, igotongwa nekunamatirwa nevene vayo”, President Mnangagwa said even with illegal economic sanctions, the country continues to march on with various development projects shaping up across the country. He said the synergy between the State and Church has always been strong dating back to the days of the country’s protracted armed liberation struggle.
Speaking after meeting various church leaders drawn from indigenous and pentecostal churches who came to congratulate him and Zanu PF for winning the harmonised elections at State House in Harare yesterday, President Mnangagwa said peace remains the cornerstone of his administration.
“If you are a Head of State as I am and if you want your country to be peaceful, you must collaborate with those institutions which preach peace, love, harmony and unity. If I need peace in my country, I must respect and give full democratic space for our churches to practise religion. If I need peace, harmony and unity in the country I must go to those institutions which preach those things,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said since 1980, he has been participating in elections quite prominently and at a high level, but the August 23 polls were the most peaceful and violent-free from beginning to end.
“I think this is a result of this culture which we are developing under the Second Republic where we have opportunities like this one where we all come together despite the fact that you are different churches but we feel you are one people. I don’t think there is any single church represented here which preaches violence, we all preach love, peace, unity and harmony,” he said.
President Mnangagwa, who also paid tribute to Archbishop Paul Mwazha who turned 105-years-old a few days ago, urged the nation to pray and fast for the revered church leader.
“As Government, if you are leading a nation that is Christian what else do you want? All that is left is for you to create a philosophy which makes everybody feel they have a responsibility to build their own country.
“I was talking to your leadership that if possible before the end of year let us look for another day to hold a national day of prayer. We will be consulting with them so that we hold it in November or early December,” he said.
A day after Zimbabwe joined the world in commemorating the SADC Anti-Sanctions Day, the President said churches should continue interceding for the nation.
“We have sanctions imposed on us by those who hate us and wanted to make us fail to develop the nation so that our people suffer and revolt against their Government which they want replaced by a puppet one. In spite of the sanctions which have been in place for 23 years now, Zimbabwe is registering development, roads are being constructed, dams are also being constructed, we used to be food insecure but now we have three years of food security,” he said.
President Mnangagwa also promised to continue improving the welfare of the Church through availing farms, farming inputs and even machinery to them, singling out the Roman Catholic Church which benefited from wheat farming inputs.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches and Faith for the Nation Campaign chairman Reverend Andrew Wutawunashe said the re-election of Cde Mnangagwa as President was in fact not a victory for him, but a victory for all the people of Zimbabwe.
“As we thus congratulate you on your re-election as President of Zimbabwe, we call upon every Zimbabwean to rally behind President Mnangagwa who to us he is not only a tried and tested leader but also a God-chosen one.
“We exhort our people to dismiss and disregard attempts to defame our August harmonised elections. As the Church we can, from a well-informed position, sincerely testify that these elections were the most peaceful, free and fair elections ever held in Zimbabwe since the birth of our nation,” he said.
Rev Wutawunashe said the churches were encouraged to see that God has given President Mnangagwa the wisdom to reconstitute his winning team of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and Vice President Kembo Mohadi.
He said their support has contributed to a trajectory of unprecedented social, infrastructural and economic development which surpassed in five short years what the nation had achieved since its birth in 1980.
In his congratulatory words, Madzibaba Moses Gwasarira, who is the chairman of Vapostori and maZion4ED, said the Church is happy that their prayers for President Mnangagwa to win the elections were answered.
“We saw the voice of the nation voting for President Mnangagwa and we shall continue with the path of supporting Zanu PF,” he said.
Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, patron of the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches, said they came as churches to congratulate the President for his victory which was written all over.
“Your Excellency you have encouraged us to build brick by brick, stone upon stone; it is time for us to continue doing that,” he said.
Bishop Mutendi said as the Church they stood together in prayer, fasting for the nation during the past general elections and they will continue standing together in building the economy of the country.
Madzibaba Obey Mapuranga, the national spokesperson of Vapostori and maZion4ED, said they shall continue to support the President in his fresh term.
“We are indigenous churches and we shall continue to seek home-grown solutions in fulfilling the mantra of President Mnangagwa which says Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, igotongwa nekunamatirwa nevene vayo,” he said.
Herald
