MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has vowed to go ahead with planned street protests to pressure the Zanu PF government to address the country’s economic crisis saying he would not make political decisions or judgments based on prophecy.
EVERSON MUSHAVA CHIEF REPORTER
On Tuesday, United Family International Church (UFIC) founder Emmanuel Makandiwa predicted bloodshed in the country and most people took to social media speculating that the prophecy referred to a harsh police response to MDC-T protests.
But Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday said the MDC-T leader’s political decisions would not be bound by the prophetic word although the former premier was a Christian who respected the man of God.
Tamborinyoka said Makandiwa’s prophecy could be referring to blood succession wars in President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF.
“Tsvangirai is a Christian who respects the man of God, but unfortunately, he does not make political judgments or decisions based on prophecy,” he said.
Tsvangirai has visited popular Nigerian prophet and founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations, Temitope Balogun “TB” Joshua on a number of occasions. This week, he sympathised with him after a guest house of the church collapsed last week killing 115 people among them two Zimbabweans.
“After all, the prophecy might not have anything to do with the MDC-T, but could be referring to bloody clashes across the political river,” Tamborinyoka said.
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Zanu PF is locked in serious internal fights as factions reportedly linked to Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa jostle to position themselves ahead of the party’s elective congress in December. The faction which prevails is likely to have an edge in the race to succeed 90-year-old Mugabe.
Ugly scenes have already been witnessed as factions clash, with Tsvangirai claiming the internal wars were distracting Zanu PF from fixing the collapsing economy.
Tsvangirai, while addressing party supporters gathered to celebrate the party’s 15th anniversary in Masvingo a fortnight ago, said it was time for action and promised to organise street protests to force Mugabe to be more responsive to the needs of the people.
Makandiwa’s prophecy seemed to have given credence to Tsvangirai’s critics, with most of them expressing fear over the planned protests. Mugabe has already threatened to deal ruthlessly with such “lawlessness”.
Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo yesterday said people were quoting Makandiwa out of context. He said Makandiwa prophesied peace and prosperity for Zimbabwe and the issue of bloodshed referred to other countries.
“You are quoting Makandiwa out of context. I listened to him. He said there would be peace and development in the country. He was talking about other countries when he talked about bloodshed,” he said.
