Bishop Kunonga calls for more farm invasions
By Tererai Karimakwenda
03 May 2012
Excommunicated Bishop Nolbert Kunonga has made headlines again, after
reportedly unleashing a hateful, verbal attack, describing Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC-T as “satanic”, while praising Robert Mugabe
as a “Holy” man and encouraging more farm invasions.
According to The Zimbabwean newspaper, Kunonga made the comments while
preaching to a small “disinterested” group of ZANU PF supporters at a
primary school in Mashonaland East, in Chief Svosve’s area. The congregation
was said to be mostly state security agents and army officers wearing
uniforms.
Ranting about the MDC-T Kunonga described party leader Morgan Tsvangirai as
a “western puppet” and his followers as “agents of doom” who are fighting to
reverse the land reform programme and are against the black empowerment
programme.
Kunonga reportedly urged Zimbabweans to grab any land still owned by white
commercial farmers, saying: “Whites like other aliens should not be allowed
to own land and other properties in the country as they are strangers.” He
then praised Mugabe, calling him “the Biblical Daniel, sent to suffer for
the cause of his people.”
Political analyst Professor John Makumbe told SW Radio Africa that Kunonga
commands no respect from ordinary Zimbabweans on the ground and is regarded
as ZANU PF’s “spiritual clown”. According to Makumbe, services conducted by
Kunonga these days are very poorly attended.
Makumbe said Chief Svosve is located near Marondera in the area where the
farm invasions first began. The population there is made up mostly of ZANU
PF supporters that would listen to anyone, if they were ordered to.
“Kunonga was there singing for his supper and they were listening because
they know where their supper comes from too. He himself is an agent of the
devil. The things he has done can only have been authored in hell, not
heaven,” Makumbe said.
The professor was referring to the seizure of Anglican church properties by
Kunonga after he split from the main church in 2009, when failing to be
appointed Bishop of Harare. Kunonga has illegally taken many church run
schools, clinics and orphanages, using ZANU PF thugs and support from the
police.
Makumbe also criticized political parties that use churches and religious
sects as political “fishing grounds”, in order to increase their share of
supporters. “It’s an act of desperation for political parties to go that
route. People go to church to hear biblical messages, not political
slogans,” Makumbe explained.
UK based Reverend Lameck Mutete agreed, saying Zimbabweans always turn to
religion when life is hard but this should not be abused by those trying to
recruit for political parties.
“It’s up to these religions to realize that Jesus was not in cahoots with
the political leaders of the day. These political parties fish out
supporters and off they go. You never see them at another service after
elections,” Reverend Mutete said.
Regarding Kunonga’s comments, Reverend Mutete said the language itself
“indicates he is no longer a man of God.”