THE Zanu PF youth league has equated President Robert Mugabe to Jesus Christ, saying his birthday should be celebrated as if it is Christmas Day, because to them, the 93-year-old leader is “The Messiah”.

In an interview last week, the ruling party’s national youth leader, Kudzai Chipanga, declared that Mugabe’s birthday, which falls on February 21, should not be treated like an ordinary day, but given the same status as Christmas Day, which is celebrated annually by Christians as Jesus Christ’s birthday.

“To us, February 21 is not just a day. To us, it is a special day we treat in the same manner Christians treat December 25, the birthday of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to be blasphemous, but in my humble view, President Mugabe is second to Jesus Christ. He is our saviour, so his birthday means a lot for us the youths of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Chipanga went into overdrive, saying Mugabe, approaching 93, was also blessed with divine wisdom and was the only person capable of steering Zimbabwe from its current economic mess.

“We will not allow those plotting to take over his post, saying he is old to do so. Look, this is not an age contest that we have at hand, but dealing with wisdom, not just wisdom, divine wisdom for that matter,” he said.

However, his declarations have been met with scorn by civic society and opposition parties.

Political commentator, Blessing Vava said Chipanga’s thinking reflected the “dead end”, which Zanu PF had found itself in relying on a man, who was past the afternoon of his life.

“It has gone beyond bootlicking. It, however, shows Zanu PF has reached a dead end. They can’t even see beyond Mugabe. There is nothing divine about Mugabe and it’s actually sad that you have a young man celebrating and idolising a very old man, who is now incapacitated. Zimbabwe is bigger than Mugabe and any other individual,” he said.

MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu said Chipanga should not be taken seriously, as the 34-year-old Zanu PF youth leader was singing for his last supper.

“Chipanga is a lost cause. He is singing very loudly for his supper. Let me tell him straight in his face, that Robert Mugabe is the biggest and most lethal problem that Zimbabwe has ever faced on both the political and socio-economic fronts since the country attained independence in April 1980,” he said.

“It is not only blasphemous, but also downright daft and degrading to compare Jesus Christ with a cruel, corrupt and intolerant dictator in the mould of Robert Mugabe.”

MDC spokeperson, Kurauone Chihwayi said: “Kudzi Chipanga is a badly groomed G40 gang member growing up among merciless vultures and jackals. That is a blasphemous statement by a misguided trainee Zanu PF bully. The young man is too blunt to know, learn or see the difference between the two.” Newsday