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Wallace Ruzvidzo Herald Reporter

CHURCHES have heeded President Mnangagwa’s call for peaceful elections and will hold a national prayer conference just before this year’s harmonised polls.

Yesterday, President Mnangagwa convened a meeting with the leadership of the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe – a grouping of indigenous churches comprising apostolic and Zion churches – who laid down their plans ahead of elections.

In an interview after the meeting, ACCZ national chair, Bishop Divas Chakwenya, said they want to hold a prayer conference as the church continues to amplify President Mnangagwa’s call for peaceful polls.

“We came to see the President and we notified him that we want to hold a national peace prayer in Harare just after political parties finish their campaigns and just before election day. As you know, this year is an election year.

“We want the elections to be peaceful and be conducted well, that is the biggest thing we went to see the President about,” he said.

Bishop Chakwenya said President Mnangagwa had also heard their plea for land to be availed to indigenous churches at affordable prices.

He commended the Second Republic for ensuring that freedom of worship prevails across the country.

“The second thing we saw the President about is that our indigenous churches need land for them to freely worship and this land should be affordable because some of the prices are too high for some of the churches.

“So we were pleading with the leader of the country who heard what we had to say.

“We want all the indigenous churches in the country to get stands to build churches even on flexible terms. He (President) respects the churches and the churches respect him as the President of Zimbabwe,” said Bishop Chakwenya.

If the country congregates in prayer, he said, the elections would be held seamlessly.

“We want peace prayers because we have different opinions and as long as we put prayer first everything will go on smoothly because it is a peace prayer which will touch the hearts of all people and they will think about our country and where we are going,” said Bishop Chakwenya.

ACCZ secretary for information, Bishop Gilbert Chavunduka, said they had fruitful deliberations and churches in Zimbabwe were grateful for President Mnangagwa’s ever-listening ear.

“Our meeting was very good and we are grateful that he welcomed us and heard our pleas and said he would respond to us as soon as possible so, on behalf of the organisation, I would like to express my deepest gratitude,” he said.

The President has kept an open door policy to all spheres including churches and has often reiterated the important role of the church in nation-building hence his meeting with them at State House.