Mugabe lashes out at false prophets in Zimbabwe
President Robert Mugabe has lashed out at false prophets and dubious spirit mediums whom he accused of extorting money from people. He said this on Sunday at Manyene Holy Cross in Chikomba while addressing mourners at the burial of the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe’s aunt, Mrs Mavis Mugadza.
Mugabe who is a Catholic, said some people who claimed to see things in advance were instead “false prophets”.
“Kungadai kuripo nevamwe vatingati zvechokwadi Mwari angadai akavapa simba rekuona zvemberi asi vashoma vakadaro, kana muchechi vashoma vanogona kuona zvemberi . . . kuva maporofita (There could be some who we can say God gave them powers of prophesy, but these are very few),” he said.
“Also in some churches you hear that a husband and his wife are prophet and prophetess . . . Ah, zvino ndozvazvinoitwa here vakomana? Bhaibheri ndozvaraiita?”
Mugabe said there were too many people who claimed to be prophets in Zimbabwe yet in the Bible they were not that many.
“Now the prophets are all over the country. (If they are true prophets) let them tell us where these curses (njodzi) befalling us are coming from. Vana vedu vapera nezvirwere nematambudziko . . . HIV, cholera zvese zvinopedzwa nemutowo upi nhai maporofita imi? (Children are perishing due to various diseases such as Aids, cholera. The prophets should tell us how to overcome these?” he said, leaving mourners in stitches.
Mugabe said some Pentecostal churches in the country were extorting gifts from their followers by making it mandatory for them to “give” to their leaders.
“Aaa tine vakomana vedu vanotendera ka, educated people, degreed people, they believe in some of them. Saka (vanotenda kuti) ndivo vanopa hupenyu kwavari. Saka ndopamwe chete patinosiyana nema Pentecostal churches,” Mugabe said.
On the other hand, President Mugabe said, traditional churches among them Methodist, Catholic and Anglican conducted their services as instructed by Jesus. He said these churches also urged their parishioners to pray for themselves as well.
President Mugabe said what was important for Christians was to be bound by the 10 commandments. The commandments, he said, were in sync with cultural values and virtues. Mugabe said there were also dubious spirit mediums.
“There are others who think that they are our spirit mediums, ndomaporofita ka awa. . . Zvino takaona zvakawanda imi we . . . mustruggle medu umu masvikiro aya taivafambira nokuti vaiva nesimba kuvanhu, zvino taida kuti simba iroro vagoudza vanhu kuti nyika iyi ndeyavo.
“Taionerera! Ndopandakaona kuti aah zvavanoita havagare vasina mbanje.
He said, under the influence of mbanje, some “spirit mediums” would pretend to be possessed.
Mugabe said it was unfortunate that imperialists hijacked Christianity in their quest to colonise countries. He said some war mongers abused missionaries by taking them on board as they advanced their agenda to colonise several countries.
