AFTER pulling off a one-man demonstration during Zanu PF’s annual conference in the resort town of Victoria Falls, clergyman Phillip Mugadza became an overnight hero.
BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
As largely expected, he was arrested and dragged to court for demonstrating against the then idolised former President Robert Mugabe.
Mugadza, still bubbling with recognition, then made a prophecy that Mugabe was going to die on October 18 this year. He was also arrested for that. Each day passed, as Zimbabweans anticipated the day. However, it did not happen as a few days before, Mugadza said the prophecy had been reversed.
On October 18, Mugabe was out of the country as usual and there was no word to the effect of the veteran leader breathing his last.
The leader of the Remnant Church’s prophecy was one of the many that both local and international clergymen passed concerning the 93-year-old Mugabe, who ruled the country for 37 years until November 21 when he resigned following the intervention of the army.
Mugabe’s long stay in power gave birth to a number of prophecies, with some of them being stage-managed to reinforce his ambition of dying in power.
All the prophecies of Mugabe leaving power were treated as “treasonous” with spin doctors employing every tactic to convince the world that all was well and the prophecies were no more than satanic verses spewed out by Mugabe’s enemies.
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On the contrary, those who prophesied on Mugabe’s prolonged rule, that he would be the country’s own leader until his last day were perceived as the genuine ones.
On November 5, just a few weeks before Mugabe’s resignation, Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe leader Bishop Johannes Ndanga declared that the 93-year-old leader would die in power.
Addressing thousands of church members who converged at Rufaro Stadium on Super Sunday, Ndanga confidently said Mugabe would rule the country to the grave because, according to his claims, he had been “anointed” by God as the country’s lifetime leader.
The crowd, which comprised mainly of apostolic sect members, welcomed Ndanga’s utterances with massive ululations, whistles and clapping of hands.
In 2015, a Malawian prophet, Austin Liabuny,a said Mugabe was going to die before that year was out. His prophecy resulted in many anticipating the day as all hope that he would willingly step down was lost. The nonagenarian’s bootlickers, however, were quick to lambast the prophet, labelling him a “prophet of doom”.
After having been in power for close to four decades, the atmosphere in Zimbabwe became tense with the masses anticipating change in any form.
The month of November will always be remembered by the masses. Mugabe finally gave up following the intervention of the army as well as solidarity protests by citizens.
United Families International Church founder Emmanuel Makandiwa reportedly gave a prophecy that made headlines with social media users, claiming that the man of the cloth’s word had come true.
The video clip, which has since stirred debate, purported to show Makandiwa foretelling the military’s intervention ahead of the 2018 elections. Makandiwa is shown saying “people in uniform” will appear on television to make a major announcement.
Makandiwa’s followers interpreted that to mean Major-General Sibusiso Moyo, who appeared on television reading a statement announcing the military intervention in politics.
Renowned Nigerian prophet, Temitope Balogun Joshua, also made a prophecy that is now widely believed to have been referring to the end of Mugabe’s reign.
In his address to his followers at the Synagogue Church of All Nations early last month, TB Joshua predicted turmoil and civil war in an unnamed Southern African country. He said a president, deputy president or first lady of that nation was going to be killed or kidnapped.
But parts of the prophecy, however, did not tally with what transpired in Zimbabwe as neither the Vice-President nor the First Lady were kidnapped or killed.
A number of prophecies were also made during the Mugabe era, with some coming to pass while others were totally offside. Mugabe, a self-professed Catholic, was not moved by the prophecies and was on record lambasting modern-day prophets as “prophets of doom”.
