The threats on Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD)Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya by Godwin Gomwe, the Zanu PF Harare provincial youth leader, are as irrational and unwarranted as they are disturbing.
THE STANDARD EDITORAL
Gomwe, who is trying hard to fit into his predecessor, Jim Kunaka’s shoes by working overtime to prove he can be more ruthlessly violent, warned Magaya against “treading on dangerous ground” by speaking ill about apostolic faith sects.
There is no doubt that Magaya’s teachings about Marine Spirits and his associating the same with apostolic sects’ way of worshipping had virtually nothing to do with politics — nor was there a motive to provoke Zanu PF.
The book and the sermon were purely religious subjects open to debate, as was found coming from Bishop Johannes Ndanga, the representative of the apostolic faith sects.
How this debate could attract such rabid threats of violence boggles the mind. True, Zanu PF has a long and unenviable history of intolerance and bootlicking, but Gomwe is certainly taking it a bit too far.
Just because President Robert Mugabe opens his mouth and says something complimentary about somebody or some group, does not make it taboo to associate that person or group with controversy or perceived bad practice.
Members of the apostolic faith have never been known to need protection from anyone — be it ideological or physical.
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They proved it adequately at the Budiriro shrine that they do not brook nonsense and that they are very capable of looking after themselves, or to even start a war if they choose to. It was not necessary therefore for Gomwe to go out of his way to confirm Zanu PF’s violent nature by threatening the Man of God with “danger” when his own foot soldiers — inherited from the party’s Chipangano thugs — may well fail to match Vapostori’s wooden staff in combat.
But, because Mugabe had spoken glowingly of the Mapositori’s support of his party, it would have appeared out of order for Gomwe — who seems to think leadership of the youth means brutalising those against the party — to do nothing after the academic attack on them by Magaya.
But, what Gomwe needs to know is that President Mugabe never meant to make the Mapositori untouchables who should not be criticised for anything.
Gomwe’s irresponsible threats can only help foment hatred and incite violence against a religious group on silly grounds — that because the President said they were good to him and his party, they were not to be seen in bad light by anybody.
Zimbabweans have enough economic troubles on their hands to be subjected to unnecessary violence by political dimwits that cannot interpret simple words of praise by the President and seek to set up violent gangs of political hoodlums against multitudes of worshippers.
