Influential African Apostolic Church (AAC) leader Paul Mwazha and other clerics support Zanu PF for personal gains, says Norton legislator Temba Mliswa.
Mliswa’s sentiments come after Mwazha was this week was reported to have ordered his congregants to vote for the ruling party and pray for President Emmerson Mnangagwa or risk being expelled from the church.
“After the pronouncements allegedly made to Mwazha church members to support @ZANUPF_Official or be expelled, it’s now safe to say most of the local church leaders are fake. They are willing to support @ZANUPF_Official for their own benefit while their congregants are suffering,” Mliswa said.
The independent MP also accused the church leaders of benefiting from farms and money from Zanu PF. This, he said, was the reason why they could not reprimand top politicians.
“They benefit farms, money etc yet they don’t tell the leaders the truth about their governance. During Mugabe’s time they got many things while talking bad about ED, now that he is in power they have changed sides and are bootlicking him for personal benefits.
“Kwana Mwazha they abuse little children safe in the knowledge nothing will happen to them. It seems the real churches are the traditional ones such as Methodist, Roman Catholic etc who are able to stand and say the truth to leaders,” he said.
An undated video shared on social media this week showed an unidentified man wearing Mnangagwa’s scarf telling hundreds of AAC followers that their leader, Mwazha had ordered his congregants to vote for Zanu PF.
“The African Apostolic Church is the one that prays for the nation. For this country to know peace you are the ones who pray, you are the ones who pray for President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Your Paul Mwazha said to all African Apostolics, anyone who votes against Zanu PF will be chased out of the church,” the man said.
“None of you will be harassed as long as we are there, as long as the president is there, I will go and tell him if there is anything that is troubling you.”
Mwazha’s church has maintained relations with Zanu PF because of the large numbers under his control. The late former President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace always used the church as a launchpad for rallies. Nehanda Radio
