Campaign to boycott Mugabe at Prayer Day intensifies

By Tererai Karimakwenda
23 June 2006

The convener of the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) Bishop Dr. Levee Kadenge revealed that he had been threatened by a CIO agent as he headed home after a meeting with other religious leaders on Thursday. Kadenge said 6 pastors had come together to pray and talk about the state of the nation but the agent who phoned, claiming he was from the president’s office, accused the pastors of meeting to form a new political party. The incident shows an escalation of the division within the church over Robert Mugabe’s involvement in the National Day of Prayer this Sunday in Harare.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa on Friday the Bishop would not reveal the agent’s name but he said the man ordered him to submit a written copy of the speech he had made to his fellow clergymen. He said he was near Kadenge’s house and would “fix him” if he failed to do so. Asked what he meant by “fix” the agent replied that he knew Kadenge’s house, he knew his car, he knew his movements and would “take him down.” As a result the Bishop did not go home and has stayed away, acting on advice from lawyers who believed he would be arrested and detained over the weekend.

Kadenge and the Christian Alliance are part of the religious group that has criticised Bishop Trevor Manhanga for cooperating with Robert Mugabe. Church leaders have been split since Manhanga of The Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe postponed the traditional Prayer Day from May 25th till June 25th in order to facilitate the involvement of the government. Mugabe is due to address the nation at the Prayer session this Sunday and and the Christian Alliance is opposed to this. Manhanga told us earlier this week Mugabe has a right to be at the event like every other Zimbabwean. But Useni Sibanda, coordinator for the Alliance said the event had been politicized and the government is even providing ZUPCO buses to bring people to the stadium in Harare who may not be Christians.

What started off as an objection by a few church leaders against Robert Mugabe making a speech at the National Day of Prayer has quickly turned into a dramatic war of words and an ongoing saga complete with threats.
Mugabe himself also threatened church leaders and civic groups accusing them of being agents of violence. Speaking at a graduation ceremony for new police recruits in Harare Thursday Mugabe said: “'The agents of violence and the purveyors of falsehoods about the country, who regrettably have included a few churches and civil groups, should be warned that the long arm of the law will not allow them to disrupt business and disturb the rights of individuals who seek an honest living in our society,'

Given all that has happened recently Mugabe has been making good on his threats. On Thursday police disrupted the funeral of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s father.
There have also been many more unwarranted arrests. As a result some church leaders affiliated with the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance are urging people to boycott the prayer day. Among them are the outspoken Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube who has said some church leaders have been compromised and are now siding with Mugabe.