By Bulawayo Correspondent
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa Sunday praised local churches for joining hands with his government in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the annual Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa Forward in Faith Ministries (ZIOGA) in Bulawayo, Mnangagwa urged churches to redouble their prayers in the wake of the resurgence of new cases of coronavirus cases in the country.
“I applaud the church for complementing government efforts in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic,” Mnangagwa said.
“The church continues to provide counselling and psycho-social support services as well as an array of social safety nets to our communities.
“Responsive collaborations between the church and government are pointers to the hallmark of us being conscious of depending that which constitutes our territory, defines and make us as people.
“We must equally redouble our prayers as this pandemic is on resurgence and seek God’s protection while we continue to fast and pray for an end of the Covid-19 pandemic as it requires a spiritual and humble petition for God’s protection and mercy.
“I urge us all to comply with the guidelines outlined by government.”
The President urged churches to continue working with the government.
“We commit ourselves as government to the word of God which regards the vision as a law to be kept and further inform us that keeping the vision will lead to progress.
“To this end, let me reiterate that the synergies between the churches and State must flourish and become more evident to our people.
“This cannot be achieved if the church itself does not understand, appreciate, embrace, bless and makes energetic efforts to etch vision 2030 in the hearts and minds of our people,” he said.
Mnangagwa also implored churches to seek divine intervention on what he described as unconstitutional insurgencies in SADC and the African Union.
“Let us pray that God will give us wisdom as leaders of the Southern African Development Community and the African Union to seek lasting solutions to address unconstitutional insurgencies both internal and externally. Africa remains a peaceful continent at peace with itself and seeking mutual beneficial relations,” he said.
