SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
Flamboyant preacher Uebert Angel used President Robert Mugabe’s birthday bash Sunday to endorse the land grab scheme and to reveal his longstanding ZANU PF links.
Prophet Angel, as he is known to his followers, was seated with Mugabe on the front row, among the Who’s Who in ZANU PF, a NewsDay report said Monday.
“This country has land and there is no more land to be created. There is an opportunity the President has created for us and as youths, let’s take advantage and let’s be vigilant in getting what belong to us,” Angel said.
“Critics will be there and stories will be written (that) Angel has been swallowed by ZANU PF as if they know where I was before.
I was born to a ZANU PF father and we had a sister who campaigned for MDC, but we never fired her from home,” Angel is said to have told delegates at the party held in Marondera on Sunday.
After his presentation, Angel knelt before Grace Mugabe before he whispered an inaudible message to her and left the podium, the NewsDay reported.
Other ‘spiritual leaders’ who have openly sung Mugabe’s praises include the late ex-convict Madzibaba Godfrey Nzira and excommunicated Anglican Bishop Nobert Kunonga.
Angel’s fellow ‘prophet and founder of the United Family International Church, Emmanuel Makandiwa, has donated $10,000 towards the wedding of Mugabe’s daughter Bona, scheduled for March 1st. A few years ago, Makandiwa stirred controversy when he signed ZANU PF’s anti-sanctions petition.
Harare-based journalist Itai Dzamara said it was wrong for any religious leader to openly declare his political affiliation.
“A church leader has under his spiritual headship, people of different political persuasions and for that reason he/she shouldn’t openly declare nor actively support one particular political party,” Dzamara wrote on his Facebook page.
“Not to suggest a Christian can’t be a politician, but that a religious leader can’t actively participate in politics. The church must keep its distance from the political power, or government of the day to be able to play its role of oversight and ‘salt of the earth,’” Dzamara said.
Trevor Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean pastor based in Swaziland, told SW Radio Africa that in the Bible the role of prophets is to minister to people’s spiritual needs, while politics and leadership is the domain for kings and politicans.
“It is improper for a spiritual leader to publicly declare his political alignment because this can alienate congregants who hold a different political view,” Ndlovu said.
“The Bible says Christians must submit themselves to their rulers, but this does not mean aligning ourselves to those rulers and their political parties,” he added.
The mega-rich Angel dropped his family name Mudzanire after he founded Spirit Embassy church, whose doctrine centre on prosperity.
Both Angel and his contemporary Makandiwa command a huge following as desperate Zimbabweans flock for ‘economic and health blessings’ which are not free, but hinge on ‘seed-sowing’.