By Stembile Mpofu.
Harare, Zimbabwe. – In the last two weeks Pastor Shingi Munyeza has given his online congregation political addresses in the guise of church sermons. I personally found the first sermon questionable because he chose to catergorise the belief system of our African Traditional Practice as those of the Occult.
He framed the practice of consulting with a N’ganga or Svikiro as the product of some dark and evil world that Africans were delivered from through “education” and science.
There is no harm done where an individual makes a choice as to which religion they want to follow, but there is a harm done where one then chooses to denigrate the religion of others by calling it dark and evil. The majority of Africans may follow the Christian religion but subscribe to many aspects of their traditional rites and practices. Are ALL these Zimbabweans and Africans Occultists Dr. Munyeza? Do you classify Muslims, Jews, Hindus or Bhuddists as Occultists because they are not Christian or is that a label reserved only for those of us who subscribe to African Traditional practice?
As I said, the first sermon was worrisome, the second, however has raised a million red flags in my mind. Dr. Munyeza’s sermon is riddled with religious fundamentalist undertones that should have every right thinking Zimbabwean concerned about our country. The tone of the message is apocalyptic warning of some great battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. This great almighty Christain God is coming to deliver the nation from the evil Occultic forces of darkness. Dr. Munyeza says:
“This will happen not in a distant future, but in the foreseeable future. As events unfold, gear up, take your position, allow the east wind to blow in your life, in your communities, in Zimbabwe, because God is about to deal with the system that sustains the occult, the structures of government,”
“Enough is enough. The occult cannot continue to subjugate and oppress us as a people anymore because God wants to deliver us as a nation.”
I say if Shingi Munyeza has a political message that he wants to deliver, he should deliver it as such. This religious trajectory that he is attempting to take us on is an extremely dangerous one. It reeks of Christian fundamentalism and has the real potential of causing religious strife in our nation. Not everyone in Zimbabwe is Christian. In fact we are AFRICANS and many of us subscribe to African Traditional Practice. We will defend our right to continue to do so. We will not be relegated to the realm of Occultism because their is an individual with political ambitions who decides to use religion as his vehicle of choice to jettison himself onto the political scene.
Dr. Munyeza, let me make this very clear:
1 . The people of Africa have as much right as any other person on this earth to practice the religion of their choice without being vilified or demonised. Every President in the US calls on their God when they address the nation. Our AFRICAN Presidents have the freedom to do the same. They can call on their Diety of choice as they see fit.
2. Zimbabwe is not a Christian fundamentalist country, stop trying to turn it into one. Fundamentalism in any shape or form is dangerous and our country does not need that. If you are planning a political revolution of any kind, do not couch it in your Christian fundamentalist rhetoric. Zimbabwe does not need another layer of conflict we have enough to deal with already.
3. If you have issues with our political leadership take those issues out of the Church and deal with them in the political arena. Stop being a coward, don’t hide behind the pulpit, come out and meet them head on. Stop using religion as a sheild and a vehicle to political notoriety. Don’t pit us against each other in a religious war because YOU have personal political objectives to achieve.
I call on Mwari Musikavhanu neVadzimu veNyika ye Zimbabwe to protect our country and bring peace to our nation and its people.
Fodya yangu ndakanda pasi.
And I do so proudly!
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