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Tendai Gukutikwa Mutare Correspondent
LEADERS of the Johane Masowe Chishanu Church have been urged to invest in their female church members by giving them opportunities to acquire skills.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Cde Mike Madiro, who is also the Member of Parliament for Mutare North, said this to congregants of the Johane Masowe Chishanu Church who were gathered for a country peace prayer in Odzi recently.

Cde Madiro said empowering the female members with various skills that include baking, basket making, farming and tailoring was an investment which could grow into big businesses in the future.

This, he added, would then help in the revival of the country’s economy.

He said besides the long-term benefits, the women’s families would not feel the impact of the prevailing price hikes as they would be preparing their own food like bread and meat, and not buying them from the supermarkets.

“The price hikes should not stop you from enjoying your favourite meals,” said Cde Madiro. “If the women are trained in bakery or farming, then you will not have to buy bread or meat daily.”

The prayer meeting was attended by worshippers from different denominations.

Johane Masowe Chishanu leader Madzibaba Andby Makururu said while the event was an official opening of their Odzi Cell-one branch, it was also a prayer for unity, peace and development in the country.

“As Johane Masowe Chishanu, we accept the leader that God gave to us, and ask our fellow Zimbabweans to unite and not be violent towards each other because of political differences,” he said.

“This is a time that we are supposed to be united because we are almost at the Promised Land like the Israelites. Our President will revive the economy, though it seems like it is taking time, he will do it. Zimbabwe will be great again, only if we do not engage in violence.”

Madzibaba Andby said the purpose of the meeting was to pray for unity and development in the former breadbasket of the SADC region.

“Violence is not the key, demonstrations are not the key because we will destroy the few industries that we are left with and that will take us many years to revive the economy,” he said. “As Zimbabweans, we should work with the President and help revive and pray for the economy, that is our job. If we fight the God-given leaders, we will not get to the Promised Land.”

Madzibaba Andby spoke against divisions and attempts to create anarchy in Zimbabwe.