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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief

VICE President Constantino Chiwenga has said President Mnangagwa is Zanu-PF’s sole candidate in the 2023 Presidential election.

VP Chiwenga was addressing multitudes of Zion Christian Church members gathered yesterday at Defe Dopota in Gokwe South who were commemorating the 1976 death of the church’s founder Reverend Samuel Mutendi.

The VP asked the church to vote for President Mnangagwa in next year’s elections.

“President Mnangagwa is our leader and Presidential candidate. So as a church, as ZCC members come 2023 you will vote for him. That should happen so that he has another term in office. We must pray for him so that he continues developing the country,” he said.

VP Chiwenga said to show that President Mnangagwa was leading the country to prosperity, every area across the country has an ongoing developmental project.

“Every area, every district and province has something happening under the Second Republic.

We want Zimbabwe to be number one in production and productivity.

We are number one in terms of the literary rate and we want to be number one in development under President Mnangagwa after he wins the 2023 elections. May I call on you to pray for him,” he said.

VP Chiwenga said in the last two years, Government banned public gatherings as a measure of mitigating against the spread of Covid-19.

“For the last two years you have not been meeting as you used to. It was not possible considering your numbers here.

There are multitudes of you here and we could not let you meet because of Covid-19.

Church gatherings were prohibited and today I am happy to see you gathered here.

The earthly kingdom started with Samuel in the bible and we are here to commemorate the death of the late Reverend Mutendi,” he said.

“In Zimbabwe we were given our leader in 1964 when he received a prophesy that one day he will rule the country.”

VP Chiwenga said nothing makes God happy than knowing that the person he created is worshipping him and therefore the need to worship the Lord all the time.

“This is my first time here and I am actually surprised to see multitudes of church members here present.

This is a clear indication that Reverend Samuel Mutendi fought his fight well before his death. We must do this often,” he said.

Meanwhile, addressing the same gathering, Bishop Dr Nehemiah Mutendi said Zimbabweans should be happy to be in the new Zimbabwe after colonisation.

“We are excited about the land which is a gift from the Lord. Land must be preserved and fully utilised.

“We pray and we are delighted that President Mnangagwa and Vice President Chiwenga are here for the first time. We are here to pray for peace, rugare (prosperity), ukuthula (peace) that is what we preach.

“Reverend Samuel Mutendi was persecuted but never gave up.

Zion is among the early churches which suffered persecution, but Reverend Mutendi continued to preach peace. This church was the first to be excited about independence. Some of us had fathers born and die in Rhodesia.”

He commended the Second Republic for pushing the development agenda.

“We are blessed to see development in the country. Roads, dams, clinics are being constructed.

As a church we have a Wellness Centre to complement Government’s efforts in improving the health delivery system.

At our Wellness Centres we do faith healing and join Government in that regard,” said Bishop  Mutendi.

Bishop Dr Mutendi said the church is happy about President Mnangagwa’s open door policy on churches.

“You listen to the churches and your willingness to invite and unite churches is commendable.

I am sure you were not going to do that if Amai Mnangagwa was not welcoming.

Your willingness to put aside State Affairs and listen to the word of God is appreciated as well as the First Lady’s outreach programmes which are repairing the spirit of Unhu/Ubuntu in society,” he said.