President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Address at the 2023 Zion Christian Church Annual Zuva RaSamere Memorial Conference Defe Dopota in Gokwe, Midlands Province.
I greet you all congregants of ZCC. Taking you down memory lane in 1963-1964 when we trained for the liberation struggle, my mother would be asked what I was up to and she would respond that my son is being trained to kill and she always said how embarrassed she was.
My mother passed after we gained our Independence. I am proud today her son is now leading the professions she wished I had taken up, ones that other mothers would proudly proclaim when asked what their children where doing.
One day during the armed struggle, together with other comrades, we saw many ZCC congregants, we followed them with the hope that we could get some free lunch after their service and so we did. While we were eating and overjoyed that we had gotten some food, Bishop S.Mutendi called us out and we thought we were busted. He then said in a race there will always be one winner. He held out his walking stick and used it to tap my shoulder. This all makes sense to me now, back then I just took it as a funny incident.
Psalm 33v12, Let us thank the Lord and His Grace Bishop N Mutendi for the word that imparts on us all. What he teaches is not his own, but he was chosen to lead God’s Church with guidance from up above.
Thank you ZCC for remembering and honouring Bishop S.Mutendi. His journey was not an easy one, for you all to be gathered here today he worked hard to unite you all under one name.
ZCC, ZANU PF and the Second Republic are bound together, we are all for socio-economic growth. The Church is building schools, clinics, hospitals and venturing in agriculture. These efforts complement what the Second Republic is all about.
Matthew 30vs16, You have all come because you have heard and seen how this Church has great impact on changing your lives. Your hearing and sight have made you come here. Nevertheless, do not just be hearers only, but also be doers of the word. This is what the Bible teaches.
Genesis 3vs19: The Second Republic preaches that we must work and we must produce, that is how we can develop our Zimbabwe.
I congratulate you ZCC for commemorating your founder Bishop Samuel Mutendi. In politics we also commemorate our own heroes. Currently, we are running several musical galas in honour of our late heroes for these are the people who paved the way for us to be here.
Deuteronomy 28vs1-11, If you fully believe and follow the word of God, all that belongs to you will be blessed. As President, I am bound to this word for it is from this promise that I can edify my people.
Zechariah 10vs1, The Bible encourages us to ask for rain so that we produce grain. This is why the Second Republic invites religious leaders to the State House every year, to lead the nation in prayer so that we are guaranteed rains for our crops and plants.
2 Chronicles 7vs14, Let us remember that there is a God in heaven, If we honour our Lord, Zimbabwe will never be forgotten.
