via Mugabe is not like Jesus Christ: Response to Psychology Maziwisa By Edward Kambarami JANUARY 3, 2014 NehandaRadio
“Sir, I am no sycophant or worshipper of power anywhere”
These words are attributed to Benjamin Franklin Wade, he was a US senator during the civil war reconstruction. History informs us Benjamin Wade was a peculiar character, a man who stood firmly by his convictions and beliefs.
He campaigned bravely for the repeal of anti-black codes, the abolition of slavery and supported black men suffrage. His work bears testimony to his liberated mind, a mind that envisioned a liberated society in which blacks and whites lived and worked together for the betterment of their country.
Humans like Benjamin Wade are a rare species, they are game changers and custodians of virtue on this fallen planet we call earth.
In the New Testament, Jesus described such spirits as the “salt of the earth: But if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it salted? He asked. It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the foot of men”, he retorted.
Men of principles are not half-hearted messengers of virtue, to whom personal interests stand higher than the absolute principles of human goodness. Indeed, true principals of human goodness are no sycophants or worshippers of power anywhere.
Brothers and Sisters! Do not suppose that by paying homage to Western figures such as Franklin Wade, Martin Luther King and others, we are laying ourselves an unpatriotic trap. No, we are not. The still voices in our consciences instructs us to honour the truth before our eyes.
It is a fact that integrity, honour, charity and other noble traits are not confined to territorial borders or boundaries. Indeed no nation or persons has a monopoly to these principles.
There are some who upon reading the above will say- How so? What about the West‘s appalling human rights record? These interrogators are justified in asking such important questions however let’s bear in mind that abominations that have been committed against the world by the West is not the subject matter.
Let’s reserve these issues for another day, another time.
Let us note in passing that the aforementioned noble deeds of these men are not the preserve of the West. Although very rare, our continent has its fair share of magnanimous men and women who refuse to compromise their ideals to garner privilege.
Sadly, today in our country, the disease of sycophancy is spreading like a deadly pandemic. It is now a norm in Zanu PF to see people renouncing their principles in a desperate attempt to remain aboard the gravy train.
It is extremely disturbing to see choirs upon choirs of sycophancy chanting in unison as they shout “see no evil, hear no evil, heil Gushungo, heil Gushungo. Surely these are sins of times that refuse to be hidden under anti-western rhetoric and neo-colonial discourse.
One such figure is Sycophant Maziwisa, sorry, Psychology Maziwisa. He is Zanu PF ‘s deputy director of information. A few days ago, Psychology Maziwisa suggested that President Mugabe should be ranked alongside Jesus Christ on the high tables of virtue.
The statements generated a lot criticism and anger from Christians and non- Christians alike. Despite the remonstrations, Maziwisa refused to repent. On this occasion, flattery took a turn into purgatory, his statements were condemned as deeply offensive hokum.
There is no need to hide a forest behind a forest! President Mugabe‘s liberation war glory has been darkened by the events of the last 33 years. His glory is trembling, it is aware that the end is nigh. During the liberation war, President Mugabe was a paragon of principles, he and other sons and daughters of the soil fought against white minority rule in our country.
They fought for a peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe, a Zimbabwe in which the rule of Law was to be the alpha and omega. Credit to him, President Mugabe contributed immensely to the negotiations that ushered in a new political and social dispensation in Zimbabwe. The emancipation of Zimbabwe from the shackles of colonialism was the vehicle on the highway to a better Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe started off very well. It is unfortunate that he failed to remain on the narrow and strait path that led to Zimbabwe ‘salvation. Based on overwhelming evidence of his inability to remain steadfast, we are prompted to repudiate Maziwisa‘s fallacious statements that President is like Jesus Christ. President Mugabe falls short of Christ ‘s character and teachings in many ways and it is our duty to explore these deficiencies carefully.
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus Christ instructed his disciples “[Come,] follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” Matthew 4:19. To follow Christ is to become more like him. It is to learn from his character. The New Testament provides fervent believers of Jesus Christ with detailed guidelines on how to follow and emulate Christ‘s character.
Let’s take President Mugabe, let’s sit him at the same table as Christ and see if he belongs.
First, the red hot issue of succession. President Mugabe turns 90 next year, he has been at the helm for 33 years. Please take note of the number 33. During this period, the nation has endured many storms, some if not most have been caused by his incompetency, lack of planning and foresight.
Zimbabwe is at a critical juncture in it’s history.
The economy has been crucified: The majority of Zimbabweans are unemployed, families across Zimbabwe are living in dire poverty, many Zimbabweans have fled to neighbouring countries and to the West in search of greener pastures, the future looks bleak and things are not getting any better.
The nation is looking up to President Mugabe to feed it with five loaves and two fishes. Why is President Mugabe feeding his loyal disciples only?
President Mugabe has any obligation to ensure that Zimbabwe‘s future is secured. Because of his age, one expects the President to appoint a successor to ensure that the nation does not sink in the sea of pandemonium after he is gone.
This has not happened, unlike Jesus Christ, the President is avoiding the succession issue. What this does is to create uncertainty and anxiety in the hearts of people, more so- it allows the spirit of confusion to possess our body politics.
During his Ministry Christ faced powerful enemies who were determined to squash his teachings by whatever means necessary. He understood that his fate was sealed, he knew that the hour was approaching when he would give up his life for his teachings.
In the book of John we hear Christ comforting his disciples, he promised them the gift of the Holy Ghost and then in a noble fashion chose Peter, the son of Jonas as his successor, the leader of the church after his death. (Matthew 16:18) President Mugabe‘s failure to appoint a successor is unequivocal evidence that he is indeed not like Jesus Christ.
This brings us to the second point: Jesus despised any form of corruption. He taught that our bodies and minds are temples of God. Paul in an epistle to the Corinthians reiterated the need to safeguard both body and the mind from the filthy that corrupts. (1 Corinthians 3:17).
Do you recall the occasion when Jesus was extremely angered by traders who were defiling the temple? Jesus drove out unscrupulous types out of the temple condemning them for turning his father’s house into a den of thieves. This trait is absent in our President.
For a very long time, President Mugabe has turned Zimbabwe into a breeding ground of corruption. It is disturbing that even law enforcement agencies are now viewed as part and parcel of this rot. As it goes unchecked, the corruption is turning Zimbabwe into a banana republic, the bane of Southern Africa.
President Mugabe needs to do the right thing, he has to deal with corruption inside the corridors of power, to do that he needs a whip and an iron fist.
The third point takes us inside the core of Jesus Christ‘s teachings. Charity, benevolence and forgiveness are central to Christian doctrine. President Mugabe is tainted by the Gukurahundi atrocities which took the lives of innocent men, women and children.
President Mugabe said the whole episode was a “moment of madness”, he is also unrepentant and is adamant that he did what was necessary to halt an armed insurrection. Surely, any competent observer will take his words with a pinch of salt. It is important to note that the President had various options at his disposal, he had pragmatic options to dissolve or resolve the issues amicably. Rather, the President chose violence over peace.
For a start, Joshua Nkomo was one of his associates. They fought for one cause, they both endured persecution at the hands of Smith ‘s regime. Both were key players at Lancaster House were a settlement to cease fighting was brokered. What changed? How did Nkomo turn into a Judas Iscariot overnight?
These are important questions that deserve urgent answers. In 1982, determined to crush Zapu opposition, President Mugabe told parliament that he was taking brute action against the people of Matebeleland. “Some of the measures we shall take are measures that will be extra-legal- An eye for an eye and an ear for an ear may not be adequate in our circumstances.
We might very well demand two ears for one ear and two eyes for one eye.” The words are emanated from mind devoid of charity and benevolence. Jesus taught his followers to avoid violence, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” he taught.
Again, we see that Gukurahundi is undisputable evidence that President Mugabe ‘s character cannot be likened to that of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ spent his mortal ministry healing the sick and the infirm. He restored sight to the blind, lifted cripples and cleansed those afflicted with leprosy. What we are witnessing in our country is very saddening. Hospitals are ill equipped, there is no money to purchase medicine.
Zimbabwe‘s infant mortality rate is one of the highest in the world, yet the Leader of our country finds it justified to fly to Asia to seek medical treatment. This is contrary to Jesus‘s principles, it is indeed immoral for the President to escape the embarrassing state of hospitals at home because they don’t serve their purpose.
What about the poor masses of Zimbabwe? Where shall they go to seek medical assistance when ill? The nation needs healing, President Mugabe was/is expected to perform “miracles”, unfortunately he hasn’t.
We can’t go around waffling on about liberation war heroes who turned apostate, we are not a demented people.
Brothers and Sisters! Over the next four years, we are going to have to deal sternly with the likes of Psychology Maziwisa. We are required by principle to respect people‘s opinions however what we should not do is kneel on the altar of unknown gods.
What is at stake here is a confession, what’s required is repentance, nothing more. To get his sins forgiven, President Mugabe only needs to describe them as are. We have walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, numerous times we have seen an altar with the following inscription : Unknown gods.
COMMENTS
Give thanks!
The time for reckoning is nigh
My observation on the issue of RGM and his leadership of Zim:
1. Succession- this has been dealt with both for his ZPF party and for our country. For our country -Zimbos are free to change govt at every election- and RGM has just cleared the political chessboard in the last 2013 election. The holding of elections would not be possible if we had a one-party state which would have been RGM’s stated preference in the 1980s.
In his ZPF party there are procedures and structures which they appear to be following every year despite what ‘analysts’ and newspapers may write from time to time. In fact some former members who may have wanted to succed RGM have left ZPF and tried their luck elsewhere; eg Tekere, Makoni, Dabengwa and others. This is as it should be in a free country.
2. Corruption: This is an ongoing battle for any person leading any large organisation let alone a country. The most able and just leaders are known for allowing their legal systems to deal with proven and unproven cases. RGM is doing this in Zim.
3. Forgiveness and the violence of the early 1980s: Any responsible government has a duty to protect law and order and to put down any rebellion. It is unfortunate that in such situations civilians always suffer the most as this case proved. There are many examples of countries where a similar rebellion led to a long-term civil war- leading to the loss of more lives; or where swift govt action brought down the rebellion but with the loss of civilians’ lives, a case in point is Sri Lanka and Tamil Tigers. For RGM it was ‘a moment of madness’ for the rebels to think that they could bring down a legitimate government through violence. RGM forgave them through the Unity Accord whose fruits the country is enjoying to this day.
4. Way Forward: Our country is facing economic difficulties which will not last forever. RGM has empowered a whole generation through education, land ownership and now the mines. I can see our country becoming the economic giant of Africa- and very soon if Zimbos expend their energy to develop the nation rather than fighting each other.
You don’t know what you talking about.
So on violence of the 80s u idiot think bcoz it was happening in some country so it’s legal remove those physchophantic blinkers
That moron called ndebvu watever has mental diarrhoea.To him the death of people in sri lanka should be used as a yardstick against the atrocities committed by mugabe in Matebeleland.None of the two groups deserved to die bcoz they are human beings who deserved respect and equal treatment from their respesctive governments. Mugabe has never liked to be opposed let alone be advised! He is brutal to those who try e.g the late Patrick Kombayi and many others who died in the hands of his supporters,the army,CIO and police.
The people have been educated but there are no jobs. So they seek greener pastures by their previous colonial nations.
The people have access to the land but no one has title deed therefore no one has collateral to take a loan from the Bank therefore no one develops their land and Zimbabwe has to import it’s food. If 33 years is enough time for a man to take a developed economy and thoroughly destroy it, what are the odds of this same person recreating what he destroyed in the space of ten years during the twilight years of life. One should never argue with a fool.
I urge people not to comment because this comparison is a blasphermy of the highest order.Just ignore.I even wonder where the writer gets time to write about Mugabe versus the Son of GOD.To all Christians, leave this discussion and don’t comment
I have never read such a barrage of mumbo jumbo idiotic stupidity in all my life. How come this blasphemous nonsense even manages to get a place in any forum….I agree with you tino, but SWR must cull this stuff out.
Why not compare him to Father Christmas or the Easter bunny
I didn’t know that the Easter Bunny was queer.
However, I do know that Father Christmas comes down a chimney once a year.
Mugabe is the a queer so he has to be more like the Easter Bunny.
You cannot compare The Ancient of Days,The Alpha & Omega against a mere mortal,whose life is but a breath,whose glory withers and dies like a flower.
This seemingly overzealous pronounciation by P.M and the subsequent discussions are actually a devilish scheme to get it into your sub concious that man can be compared with God.
Blasphemy!!
Mugabe’s leadership qualities from the word go were by proclamation and never merited. This is a teacher who found himself conveniently nominated to lead a party which happened to be without a leader but tremendous momentum. From then on his leadership qualities were advanced more by preachers (supporters) than his own acts. What he added was just good command of the English language and that is about it. The brutality that accompanied his reign was/is necessary to hide his incompetence. He is a typical “Zizi risina nyanga”. It does not matter that many people may realize now that zizi harina nyanga, that fact alone does not mean there was a time when zizi had nyanga. Right now zpf cannot be an effective ruling party or useful opposition party because they never learned to separate party issues from government issues. To them both educated and uneducated their stupid politbro and central committee (whatever distinction between the two is supposed to be) are the same as government. Its insanity to think this has been the case since 1980. When not in power the politbro would not know what to discuss because all they know is that there is no difference between them and government.
We dont need such articles.How can u compare a mere mortal,whose life is but a breath,to The Eternal One,The Alpha & Omega,The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords?
Blasphemic nonsense!
Mugabe’s leadership qualities from the word go were by proclamation and never merited. This is a teacher who found himself conveniently nominated to lead a party which happened to be without a leader but tremendous momentum. From then on his leadership qualities were advanced more by preachers (supporters) than his own acts. What he added was just good command of the English language and that is about it. The brutality that accompanied his reign was/is necessary to hide his incompetence. He is a typical “Zizi risina nyanga”. It does not matter that many people may realize now that zizi harina nyanga, that fact alone does not mean there was a time when zizi had nyanga. Right now zpf cannot be an effective ruling party or useful opposition party because they never learned to separate party issues from government issues. To them both educated and uneducated their stupid politbro and central committee (whatever distinction between the two is supposed to be) are the same as government. Its insanity to think this has been the case since 1980. When not in power the politbro would not know what to discuss because all they know is that there is no difference between them and government.
On Christ: Here is a man who was born in an obscure village,
the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in
another obscure village, where He worked in a
carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for
three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never
wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never
went to college. He never put his foot inside a big
city. He never traveled two hundred miles from
the place where He was born. He never did one of
the things that usually accompany greatness. He
had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His
divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide
of public opinion turned against Him. His friends
ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned
over to His enemies. He went through the
mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled
for the only piece of property He had on earth
while He was dying—and that was his coat. When
he was dead He was taken down and laid in a
borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and
the leader of the column of progress. I am far
within the mark when I say that all the armies
that ever marched, and all the navies that ever
were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat,
all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as
powerfully as has that One Solitary Life. ATTRIBUTION: JAMES ALLAN FRANCIS, One Solitary Life, pp. 1–7
(1963). Now tell me to whom shall we compare such greatness?Mugabe?Mandela?Obama?,No! I say there is no other name Given unto us other than the name of Jesus Christ.
A well written piece. God will not be mocked! One thing we can be assured of is that all men (women) will die and after that, the judgement throne before a Holy and Righteous God.
How can one go to the extent of comparing the two ,only the brainwashed and i…ts do that we all know where he was born,and how he behaved ,and how still behaves even today ,SUCH AN EMBARASSMENT.
Why dignify such mental retardation with a response? Psychopath possibly wants a ministerial post & as is the norm in Zanu pf, bootlick the powers that be. But this time he has gone too far! Need I remind him that the bible says God can not be mocked & such mockery of God has consequences. Mugabe himself being a Catholic I don’t think he would want to be compared with the Jesus. Kufarisa zvakunoita!
The author is unaware of the fate of his article. He had the guts to compare the incomparable Christ to Mugabe (worse still Mugabe. That is pure blasphemy, mockery. He managed to put it across in rich English but very poor content. Infact he garnered a point for Maziwisa who is sacrificing every trick to get popularity. Zvine chekuita namwari chingosiyaiwo zvakadaro!!!!
Well written peace. Thoroughly enjoyed. The comparison of leadership is in response to the baseless and unwarranted comments by Maziwisa. I agreeable to most of it.
How sad that an article is needed to point out that ANYONE is not Christ. To suggest that anyone is like Christ is to commit blasphemy. This article is barely a start on describing how Mugabe is an apostle of Satan, though.
I is such people like Psychology Maziwisa, who bring a curse to other people because of their lack of respect of the Almighty, he does not know that God can demonstrate his mightiness on Mugabe and take hid life just to sure the stupid Psycholgy that there is only one God and one Jesus Christ and no other, Just wait and see
Do not -play games with God. Jesus Christ is God incarnate. Beware the fires of hell await you!