Mutendi deplores post-election violence
ZIMBABWEANS must not be used by politicians or risk their lives so that greedy individuals assume political power.
In an interview on the sidelines of the ZCC Defe Dopota Holy Land 42nd commemoration of the passing on of church founder Reverend Samuel Mutendi in Gokwe North yesterday, church leader Dr Nehemiah Mutendi said gallant sons and daughters of the country died before independence as they fought for total emancipation of the country and are still being honoured.
He said there was no honour in dying for a political party.
“Yes, people died for this country (during the liberation struggle) and it’s different from dying for a seat in Parliament. That’s not a hero’s death,” said Dr Mutendi.
“As they say the politics is a dirty game, let the politicians do their dirty work. The Constitution is there, why quarrel? Quarrelling delays progress.”
He said the current political bickering over the July 30 harmonised elections outcome was only delaying socio-economic growth.
Dr Mutendi said: “Zimbabwe is open for business and Zion is open for blessings. But how can we start the business and receive the blessings when there is this political bickering? It is not necessary to have these squabbles. As the church, however, we will continue to pray for peace because in the absence of peace we won’t develop.”
He said the successful agrarian reform, the opening of incubation hubs in universities as well as the Women’s Bank were efforts by Government to spearhead empowerment of the people.
Constitution
“Yes, we have the Constitution, we have laws governing things like elections in the country but these must not be abused. A carpenter cannot blame his tools for a product that is substandard.
“A soccer player, can he blame his shoes? No, people went and voted and results were announced and some want to blame something. The campaigning period was there and people I believe voted and these squabbles are delaying progress,” he said.
Dr Mutendi commended Zimbabweans for a peaceful pre-election and election period.
“People of Zimbabwe must be commended for the peace we enjoyed before and during the elections. The sad chapter was violence after the elections. Yes, we have people who died for this country in the war against colonialism. But Zimbabweans must not be used and die like what happened. There is no heroism in that,” he said.
Dr Mutendi commended Gov- ernment for advocating for skills development, saying God blesses the use of hands.
He said the women and the youths should make use of vocational training centres and learn skills to advance themselves as well as the society.
“In the Bible we learn of God blessing the work of hands. At home be it in the garden, poultry, dressmaking for example,
the vocational training centres, one must be found doing something. Entrepreneurship as advocated by the Government should be embraced by all,” he said.
He said ZCC was embracing entrepreneurship and was putting up schools and colleges to develop the people.
Dr Mutendi said ZCC founder Reverend Samuel Mutendi started the church at the instigation of the Holy Spirit which visited him at the then Hartley (Chegutu) in 1913 before going to be with God in 1976.
Over 200 000 congregants from all over the world including the Deputy Minister of the Agriculture Cde Davies Marapira are gathered in the Midlands Province for the conference which started last Monday.