The Zion Christian Church (ZCC), an affiliate of the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe, has distanced itself from demands by council president Bishop Johannes Ndanga that they be given cars and allowances for mobilising support for Zanu PF ahead of possible polls any time soon.
Ndanga told ZCC national women’s conference in Masvingo last Saturday their organisation was spearheading Zanu PF’s campaign and commanded a larger following compared to traditional leaders.
As such, they demanded cars and allowances just like traditional leaders received.
But Musavengana Tawa, leader of the Zion Church in Masvingo, accused Ndanga of undermining traditional leaders.
Ndanga had challenged president of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, for a show of their followers.
“He is chasing away members from the congregation by taking the stance that he is Zanu PF and giving the impression that the rest of the congregation is supporting the same party,” Tawa said.
“In the church we do not want bishops to be too political because the congregation is comprised of members of various political parties. Some political issues might bring about violence within the house of God,” he said.
Tawa said chiefs were owners and custodians of Zimbabwean culture and that even Zanu PF respected chiefs. It was wrong for Ndanga to disrespect Charumbira by challenging him in that manner.
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“If a chief tells us that we should not congregate at a certain area or mountain, we abide by that,” he said. Tawa is also a member of the Zapu national council for Masvingo Province.
He said he was a descendant of Chief Chivi of Masvingo and said Ndanga should seek forgiveness from God because he said chiefs were born but bishops were ordained.
“In a way he is going against the Creator because he is the one who appointed those chiefs,” Tawa said.
“President Robert Mugabe has so much respect for chiefs. Even my president Dumiso Dabengwa has always told us to respect chiefs and if we have any activity in an area, they have to be notified.” Tawa said church leaders should not beg for vehicles and money from politicians saying the various congregations had the capacity to look after them.
