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This week, Mr Mawarire is organising a dinner in Dallas, Texas where patrons are being asked to part with a whopping US$75 to have the chance to break bread with, and have their pictures taken with him.

Tendai Mugabe : Senior Reporter

Pastor Evan Mawarire of #Thisflag fame has been slammed for abusing the national flag and the country’s image for self-enrichment after embarking on fundraising missions in South Africa and the United States of America. Mr Mawarire became a darling of Western ambassadors in Zimbabwe after posting a video of himself drapped in the Zimbabwean flag crying over his failure to fend for his family, and thereafter began regularly posting videos denouncing President Mugabe and the Government on social media.The videos, which were posted under the hashtag, #This Flag, were soon used in abortive attempts to sabotage the economy before Mawarire fled to South Africa claiming persecution by the Government after handing himself to police for question after skirmishes that occured in Epworth and Mabvuku in the wake of his abortive ShutDownZimbabwe campaign.

Surprisingly, the man who could not afford fees for his kids, was now domiciled in South Africa’s posh Sandton suburb and travelling the globe trashing Zimbabwe after western donors undid the purse strings.

This week, Mr Mawarire is organising a dinner in Dallas, Texas where patrons are being asked to part with a whopping US$75 to have the chance to break bread with, and have their pictures taken with him.

An invitation card posted on social media yesterday said for the US$75, patrons would have an opportunity to have a four course meal, be photographed with Mawarire and also have a one on one interaction with the “flag Pastor”.

Further, the guests would also be treated with live eulogies about Zimbabwe by Mr Mawarire.

Clergymen and political analysts yesterday roundly criticised Pastor Mawarire for abusing the national flag and religion to pursue personal fundraising activities.

Some described him as a rebel without a cause while others said he was the devil’s advocate.

Renowned social commentator Professor Sheunesu Mupepereki said: “Mawarire is a sponsored hollow instrument into which some propaganda against Zimbabwe are being churned out.

“He has nothing meaningful to contribute to the well-being of Zimbabweans and I liken him to a harlot. He is just looking for money and has no ideological standing.

“He is a religious charlatan masquerading as a man of God yet he is a devil’s advocate. All that he is saying is about destroying Zimbabwe. The moment you start to denounce the President you are also attacking the people of Zimbabwe who elected him.”

Prof Mupepereki said Zimbabweans in the US should not attend the dinner saying it was a betrayal of the country’s historical context.

He said the country had enough problems that required level headed people to address them.

Another analyst Mr Godwine Mureriwa said Pastor Mawarire was simply creaming off rewards of his false bravery in opposition politics.

He said the flag pastor noted a vacuum in terms of looting Western money since all opposition parties were now in oblivion.

“He is a comic politician who is trying to cover up what his sidekicks in the opposition ranks failed to do through the electoral system,” said Mr Mureriwa.

“His entrepreneurial path has taken gullible people who are generous and let them do the donations. Let him get the money and remember recently he conceded that he can no longer afford to raise school fees for his children.

“If he is genuine about fighting for Zimbabweans why is he running away from the country?”

Apostle Andrew Kainga of Emmanuel Fellowship Ministries: “Personally I don’t ask people to listen to me when I am preaching. The bible says we are the salt of the earth and as the salt what are we doing to ensure that there is stability in the country?

“Before we start pointing fingers on the failures of other people, let us do self introspection as religious leaders. Are we playing our part as well?

“Where are the proceeds of that dinner going? If they are not going to help Zimbabweans suffering here then I have problems with that.”

Apostle Kainga said the duty of the church was to pray for the nation as God’s weapons.

He said: “As church leaders we are only conduits being used to convey the word of God and why should we ask people to pay to listen to that word?”

Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe president Archbishop Johannes Ndanga said: “In Christian circles we do not know Mawarire. We only came to know of him through the courts. In Christianity we liken his behaviour to that of salt that had lost its taste.”

After making his political stunts a few weeks ago, Pastor Mawarire sneaked out of the country and found himself enjoying a lavish life in Sandton South Africa.