Cleric Confronts Mnangagwa Over Sikhala Detention
3 October 2022
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Tinashe Sambiri|Bishop Ancelimo Magaya has challenged the Zanu PF leader Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to release jailed political activists.

According to Bishop Magaya, Mnangagwa wants to keep Sikhala in prison until 2023- after elections.

Bishop Magaya further argues Mr Mnangagwa is not at all ready for free and fair elections.

See statement below:

There is no question about the fact of President Mnangagwa’ unpreparedness for free, fair and credible elections for 2023.

His grip on the judiciary is scary. The courts that are supposed to be honorable are making very political verdicts on behalf of the state. The blatant miscarriages of justice are revulsive not only to the public but before God (Isaiah 1: 21 & 23).

The pastors and congregants that were arrested because they were praying for their country on June 10 are still on remand thou out of custody. Sikala and team are wallowing in prison. Tsitsi Dangarembwa and Julie Barnes have unjustly been convicted. My sensing is that they want to keep Sikala and team in jail till elections. They should prove this thinking wrong and release them. This continued harassment are deliberately schemed to give warnings to anyone who would like to exercise their constitutional rights.

The increasing closure of civic space is unprecedented in Zimbabwe and reminisces Rhodesian era where smith would label our freedom fighters ”terrorists” conveniently so, to justify his repressions.

It is very saddening that whilst the aforementioned is self evident both the general citizenry and the church in particular seem to undermine the power that is reposed in them.

The save Zimbabwe campaign: a church led initiative almost broke the spin of Mugabe regime as we organized series of protests and prayer meetings/activities whose climax was the 11th of March 2007. Resulting from these initiatives was an emergence of AU meeting in Tanzania which led to elections whose outcome we all know. The ZCBC pastoral letter of August 2020 was both a bomb and a galvanizing factor.

The church and the citizenry were ready for action and then there was a sudden lull resulting from a backlash. The spontaneity with which the citizens gathered at the court in solidarity with pastor Evan in July of 2016 should never be separated from his initial release.

To the church, a reading of scriptures clearly shows that with the advent of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2, there was an increase of impact in the ministry of the apostles in the public space. Note also Micah 3:8 “ The spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has annointed me to rebuke Jacob of his sin and Israel his iniquity “.

The question of the application of theology to public space such as economic and politics is pictured with abundance in scriptures. Finally to the citizenry, we should glean lessons from the South Africans who gathered at the court in numbers in solidarity with the EFF members. We should all relentlessly demand the Zimbabwe we want and it will be delivered. God save Zimbabwe.

Let it be known that Ed together with his rogue judiciary stand guilty before the heavens for convicting the innocent like Tsitsi Dangarembwa and Julie Barnes for exercising their rights, whilst murderers like Sanyatwe and many more are rewarded. This is not the Zimbabwe we want.