Bishop Mutendi, who has officiated at more state functions by Mnangagwa than any other church leader, including his inauguration on 24 November 2017, wants to break this impasse and has urged Mnangagwa to forget all this and behave like a statesman. After all, he had sacrificed a lot to get to where he is today.
“Go and speak to the boys,” Bishop Mutendi told Mnangagwa. “Go and speak to the people. You have said you are a very listening President. Go and listen to their stories. Stupid though they may be, silly even then. Listen. Convince them. You are a sacrificial leader. A great leader must have gone through great sacrifices. You have gone to the bush. You have missed musoro wako kuchekwa (hanging), how many times zvawanga uchida kufa, zvose, including poisoning, you have gone through that, you have suffered. Ndiyo inonzi sacrifice. Isu chiKristu chedu tinochityira, why, because it was founded by a sacrificial man, Jesus. He died for us. That’s what you have been doing since you were a boy, so you are mature enough, Hapana zvinombokunetsai. Torai zvikomana. Garai pasi. Tauriranai. Wiriranai. (There is nothing impossible. Get the boys. Sit down with them. Talk. Agree)
“Tine verse yedu inoti Jehovha unoti nemazuva okupedzisira mweya wangu uchadurugwa panyika. Ndinoda kuti kana zvana kana zvoporofita, majaya achiona vision, dhara dzichirota hope. Dzichishanda dzose muhurumende iyoyo. Zvana zvenyu zvitorei. Zvitsvakirei pamunozvitsvetawo, isu vadhara tichirota hope, vakomana vachiona mavision, zvikomana zvichiporofita. Ndiani angatigona pano?” he said citing Joel 2 vs 28 urging Mnangagwa to work with the opposition because no one would stand against a united Zimbabwe.
Mnangagwa did not respond to the call for talks in his address. He, however, acknowledged Bishop Mutendi’s advice and even joked that he had spoken more like a political commissar and was thinking of incorporating him into his party’s politburo. Mnangagwa, however, stressed, the need for love, peace and unity. He said the church was united and growing and it was even thinking of praying for rain when politicians were not thinking about that or even about holding traditional ceremonies yet they were the ones who had the onerous task of providing food to the nation.
Mnangagwa said when people were united, loved each other and spoke with one voice, God listened to them.
Two months have gone by since Bishop Mutendi asked Mnangagwa to talk to the opposition. On the surface, nothing seems to be happening, but Chamisa in his New Year message said: “2019 is the year we dare put our differences aside to move forward victoriously as a great people. There’s so much to cover, discover & recover. Something great is coming!”
Today, Chamisa called for urgent dialogue with Mnangagwa to solve the country’s political and economic crisis before things get worse.
He has a long way to go because his lieutenants still seem to be spoiling for a fight.
“2019 is the year of rolling mass action against the illegal regime of @edmnangagwa. We voted for @nelsonchamisa and we must be prepared like the thousands of gallant Liberation struggle heroes to die defending our right to cho(o)se the President of our Choice #2019ChamisamuOffice,” one of them tweeted.
Bishop Mutendi, leader of probably the biggest, and oldest, independent church in Zimbabwe, is still optimistic that the two sides will sit down and talk. Politicians, he argues, take their time as there are consultations to be made to get everyone in the loop.
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