ZANU PF youths have warned Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Walter Magaya against attacking apostolic sect members, some of whom have publicly declared their allegiance to President Robert Mugabe and have religiously attended all major party events in their thousands.
Speaking after Mugabe’s address to hundreds of party supporters gathered to welcome him at Harare International Airport on Thursday, Zanu PF Harare provincial youth chairman Godwin Gomwe warned Magaya not to “tread on dangerous ground” by attacking the sect members.
This came after Magaya, in his booklet titled Marine Spirits, Mweya Yemumvura: Teaching by Prophet W Magaya, claimed that members of the apostolic sect derived their doctrine from spirits that reside in the marine kingdom and that they do not believe in the Bible.
“It is from these Orion and Leviathan spirits of the marine kingdom where false, non-Bible believing white garment churches (mapositori ekumasowe) are derived,” Magaya wrote.
“It is also unfortunate that many people have been deceived to follow or visit these kinds of shrines (masowe) in an effort to go over their problems, yet to no avail.
“Many people who have visited these non-Bible believing churches have had their problems worsened, while others have been permanently hooked to them after receiving various continuous serious threats including death (zviga zverufu netsaona), thereby becoming members,” he added.
Gomwe described the narrative in the book as a direct
attack on “Zanu PF’s all-weather friends”.
“You heard President Mugabe say ‘Pamberi neMapostori edu? They made us win elections by their continued support of the party. Magaya blasts them even on the podium. His church is not special. His church is not perfect and he should leave Vapostori alone,” Gomwe said.
“We are not happy with what he said and we are warning him as a party to stop attacking Vapostori.”
Magaya’s controversial remarks have already drawn a sharp rebuke from the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe — which represents at least 700 Apostolic Christian churches in the country.
Magaya could not be reached for comment yesterday.- Newsday