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Reason Wafawarova
It is sad that being a loyalty-driven church member and a God-fearing Christian appear to have become a precarious balancing act in Zimbabwe’s religious landscape. Many Christians like my friend Jealousy Mawarire are clearly prepared to die for their “spiritual fathers” (the euphemism for today’s fame-addicted prophets), and they are often confronted with the uneasy choice between allegiance to the church leader and adherence to the true teachings of Jesus Christ — himself the author and finisher of the Christian faith.

Mawarire was furious on behalf of Prophet Makandiwa after I penned an article questioning the media’s obsession with rumour miracles that the same media houses never really bother to either scrutinise or verify. My crime was to declare that the shaft-enlargement miracle reportedly performed on a Namibian man by Prophet Makandiwa never really happened, from however, many angles one may choose to look at it.

Mawarire came to the defence of the media and of his father Emmanuel Makandiwa armed with more bizarre promises of earth-shattering miracles, according to him, coming from the sacred mouth of Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa. To Mawarire the promises are miraculous in themselves, and anyone that does not comply will be accused of “intrinsic hatred” for his “papa”.

After the 2013 “rains of pure gold” promised by Prophet Makandiwa in January last year did not exactly materialise, Mawarire gives us more earth-shattering promises from the charismatic man of God.

In January last year, the man of the cloth prophesied and said gold would be so common in Zimbabwe that it would rain from the heavens, and that people would pick the precious mineral from the commonest of places without much effort.  Nothing near this prophecy took place up to December last year, and we assume we got the meaning of the prophecy all wrong, otherwise we stand to accuse a God-anointed man of deceitful conduct, and we really do not want to do that.  For 2014 these are the words attributed to the prophet by Mawarire:  “We are still waiting for a few instructions from God so that we can bring some few corpses from mortuaries and raise them. Obviously we would prefer people who would have been dead for two weeks or more, so that people will know that the God we serve is the God of the Bible.”

Anyone that questions this will attract the wrath of Mawarire’s like-minded — and they are not few.

I am not so sure how many people care or want to know what kind of God Prophet Makandiwa and Mawarire serve, but I personally would prefer a God of hope, faith, love, forgiveness and salvation than that of mere power demonstration. I am for a saving and gracious God, and the corpse and mortuary miracle one can wait in my books.

Mawarire wrote angrily in defence of a man that was never attacked in the first place, and to win his fist-of-fury argument he signed off with an all parading liner telling us all that he is a holder of a mighty Masters Degree in Media something from Rhodes University somewhere in South Africa.

That signature liner was more impressive than Mawarire’s famous Constitutional Court victory that gave us the historic July 31 elections, and I sincerely hope the prophet had something to do with this gigantic achievement, for credit’s sake.

Like some of the fanatical lot among our religious folk, our impassioned and somewhat dogmatic members of political parties are equally subjecting themselves to the uneasy choice between political party and country, and clearly we live in a country where political cultism is superior to patriotism. Our politicians love it that way and that is expected.

If it was not for political cultism the corrupt lot within our politics would not have this guaranteed impunity that they seem to enjoy, and surely an indisputable failure like Mr Morgan Tsvangirai could have long exited the political scene — certainly by voluntary resignation in any community where integrity is still ranked high as part of normal life. But Zimbabwe has its own norms.

“Most of us know people who believed something that seemed good on the surface, but where the surprise outcome was very harmful. Unfortunately, many good-sounding political and religious leaders are secretly motivated by money and power instead of the well-being of their followers, and use every means available to entice the unwary.”

The above are words from one Roy Roybal, writing on today’s false prophets, and I borrow them precisely for their provocativeness.  It is expected that one must display undying loyalty for one’s faith, church or religious leader, just like it is expected that one must show relentless fidelity and homage to one’s political party, like Psychology Maziwisa and Nelson Chamisa do.

It is easier for a politician to terminate a marital relationship that has broken down than to walk out of a party whose activities no longer fulfil any of his aspirations. In the private sector an accountant or a media practitioner can move to a competing firm if that is where they can find the professional satisfaction they wish for — and we all agree it is their right to do so. While Christians are quite migratory between competing churches and can even slide “back to Egypt,” it is not as easy in politics. The cultic nature of politics ensures that we have such vociferous declarations like “MDC-T for life,” or “Will die for ZANU-PF.”

For a party member to go searching for a competing political organisation because his own party no longer fulfils his personal aspirations the only explanation that can be given is opportunism or political prostitution. One can ask any disillusioned part member that either crossed the floor or competed for political office as an independent and no doubt they will testify of the difficulties involved in disengaging from a political movement.

You cannot leave a cult without being demonised or even victimised. The price has to be paid.

One cannot discount the need for loyalty to either a religious or political organisation, but we must not hold religion and politics to this dangerous standard where we allow ourselves to blur the lines that separate a healthy display of loyalty from blind cultism.

With blind cultism the religious leader cannot sin, and the political leader cannot err, even if they do — they simply cannot, by definition.

I am firm in my support for ZANU-PF’s people-oriented policies in general, and for the principled stance of the party’s leader and First Secretary, but that does not make me an admirer of the party’s notorious legacy of half-hearted implementation of its own policies.

Neither does my support for ZANU-PF policies blind me from admiring such professionalism as David Coltart showed as Education Minister between 2009 and 2013, much as I am not a huge fan of Coltart’s brand of politics.

While religious cultism is perhaps as old as prostitution, if not as old as creation itself, this scourge of political cultism has been nurtured and allowed to take root by our political leadership from across the political divide, and of course it all serves their cause so well.

Political cultism has trumped national patriotism, and one can just look at ZANU-PF succession politics to see this.

It has paralysed the MDC-T in the wake of Morgan Tsvangirai’s disgraceful conduct — alleged or real.

It is so sad to see very intelligent men and women so stranded and convincing themselves the world has ended just because a cult hero like Tsvangirai has fallen. To many it means the MDC has fallen, and that mentality is frankly sad.

Political cultism allowed the MDC-T leadership the treacherous liberty to call for ruinous economic sanctions against the country without any backlash from their supporters.

Political cultism again thwarting patriotism!  Even today some still blindly defend the continued existence of Western-imposed economic sanctions. So many times we have heard that a member of an opponent party is admittedly a better candidate, but voters will not vote for him because it translates to voting for an enemy party.  That is how political cultism trumps patriotism, even logic.

Zimbabweans must dispassionately and rationally assess each politician on merit before they vote them into political office, otherwise sluggish politicians will continue to find shelter in the bosoms of slavish supporters. After this the politicians will have no problem snuggling and sleeping on the job.

There is no accountability in the culture of cultism, be it political or religious. In cultism leadership is immune to scrutiny, and one gets the purge if they tread on hot waters.

The flag, the liberation legacy, and tactful falsification of the past are all used to create an environment of blind loyalty camouflaged as national patriotism.  In religion leaders are idolised and even immortalised. Anyone that questions the actions of religious cult-heroes will be subjected to Mawarire-type of fury, if not worse, and this is why in last week’s instalment I had to forewarn readers of the coming wrath.  How many times have we trounced our politicians for their populist approach that is far removed from the required action to arrest the ills of Zimbabwe’s ailing economy?

Some politicians have secretly backed our cause, just like some disgruntled or outgoing public office holders have joined our calls, albeit less stridently.

The concurrence over the issue of pushing for political accountability is quite unquestionable, just like most right-thinking Zimbabweans would concur that being subjected to television miracles is not the most enticing way of winning souls for Jesus Christ, not least for the controversies inherent in the method.

What cultism does is very simple. It allows our politicians to give pride of place to political expediency at the expense of the national interest. It allows our clergymen the impunity to exploit the vulnerable in our midst without any fear for whatever form of repercussions. Perhaps even the Devil will probably think twice before stage-managing a miracle.

Cultism trumps patriotism the same way it trumps commitment to Jesus Christ and his teaching – elevating the glorification of the cult leader to what matters most for the follower.

This is why Prophet Magaya is reportedly causing a stir in Zimbabwe. He is attracting counter glory, and his competitors are less than impressed.

Our religious leaders and politicians are definitely not the only ones guilty of the culture of cultism. Zimbabweans have allowed their overzealous support for their respective political parties to take precedence over the nation itself, just like many Zimbabweans have allowed fanatical faith in miraculous solutions to take precedence over the entire Christian doctrine and Biblical teachings on how problems are dealt with.

When one takes a look at social media they are confronted with the sad reality of Zimbabwe’s seeming hopelessness, as what should ordinarily be intelligent and objective debating of important national issues often degenerates into primitive name-calling and blatantly disrespectful comments.  With cultism rationality is not an option, only emotional passion counts.  On matters of religion, one is confronted with earth-shattering threats of a divine nature as fanatical followers of cult leaders scramble over each other in defence of their “papas” whenever the followers feel the authenticity of their leaders has been questioned.

Zimbabwe is a God-fearing nation and it is important that our people seek the face of God through the teachings contained in the Bible. Seeking miracles and signs is worlds apart from seeking God, and even Jesus rebuked miracle and wonder-seeking people of his time as “an evil and adulterous generation.”

On the political front, let me urge our people to let the flame of patriotism triumph over our collective political differences, however polarised our views may be. We are one people. Together we can put to dust the bane of political and religious cultism.

Zimbabwe we are one and together we will overcome. It is homeland or death!

•  Reason Wafawarova is a political writer based in SYDNEY, Australia.