Vapostori 4ED pledge to mobilise followers for resounding victory
VAPOSTORI for Economic Development (Vapostori 4ED) has assured President Mnangagwa of support and pledged mobilisation of followers countrywide during next year’s harmonised elections to vote for the President and the ruling party, Zanu PF.
Vapostori 4ED urged Zimbabweans to remain united and to shun all forms of violence before, during and after the elections.
The group said all their members had registered to vote and they will be voting for the ruling party and President Mnangagwa for a resounding victory.
Addressing journalists in Harare, Vapostori 4ED provincial spokesperson Madzibaba Thomas Nyakudya said their organisation was made up of members of different apostolic sects.
“As members of the apostolic sect and Vapositori 4ED we are in full support of the government and President ED Mnangagwa,” he said. “Our stance is that as the apostolic sects, we should be in support of the Government governing this country. “We will work hand in hand with the Government to preach unity, peace and love among the people.”
Madzibaba Nyakudya said he had never seen President Mnangagwa preaching hate speech or inciting violence. He said the group would continue to pray for peace for Zimbabwe and for economic development.
“I have, however, noted with concern that some people are of the view that members of the apostolic sect are now involved in politics,’ he said. “I would like to make it clear that we are not taking any sides and anyone who feels like joining VED is free to join us so that they understand how we operate.”
Everyone was entitled to his or her opinion and as VED nothing was going to stop them from supporting the Government, he said.
“As VED nothing is going to stop us from supporting the ruling party and Government led by President ED Mnangagwa,” said Madzibaba Nyakudya. “For instance, if we also look at the number of our members in Harare province, they are about between 500 000 and 600 000 of them and they will be voting for the ruling party during the forthcoming elections.” Responding to journalists, Vapostori 4ED national spokesperson Madzibaba Obey Mapuranga said they were not politicians and did not have political structures and systems, but they supported the Government of the day.
He said they formed Vapositori 4ED after the President had announced Vision 2030 which led them to realise that people should be able to work for themselves for economic development.
“Among ourselves as the apostolic sects, we have come up with various consortiums and income generating projects as a result of this,” he said. “We will continue praying and working for our country for economic development, just like as the President has been saying “Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo”, he said.
Madzibaba Mapuranga said some members through Government had also acquired land and had been taking their grain to the Grain Marketing Board, while others had ventured into mining. They were also running a butchery and an abattoir in Manicaland in which their members shared dividends at the end of the year.
On elections, Madzibaba Mapuranga said they were conducting what they called congregation-based mobilisation.
“The ZEC ( Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) do what they call a polling station voters roll and as for us we conduct what we call congregation based mobilisation,” he said. “Right now as we are speaking our members are obtaining identification cards and also registering to vote in the parts of the country where they live.
“Why, because we are enjoying our constitutional rights which says that every person has got the right to vote. Our numbers, like what the provincial spokesperson has said, that in Harare we have more than 600 000 eligible voters from the apostolic sect which we are going to give to the President for a resounding victory which we have already seen and prophesied and we believe in it and we are saying come 2023 there is victory that is coming for President ED Mnangagwa.”
The event was attended by Vapostori 4ED provincial chairperson and leader of the Velvet Shrine Madzibaba Owen Chingondi and several other members of the apostolic