Staff Reporter
As the battle to succeed President Emmerson Mnangagwa intensifies, some aspiring candidates are resorting to the services of prophets and spirit mediums to enhance their chances to land the country’s top job.
Zanu PF insiders said some presidential hopefuls are busy canvassing for prophets to “see a crown on their heads” as a means to gain leverage and support ahead of the ruling party’s 2027 elective congress.
“We have intelligence coming through in competing camps of people, who are hoping to lead the country seeking the services of prophets,” said a senior Zanu PF official.
“We have a candidate (name withheld) who has reached out to a popular preacher to allege he saw his leadership in the spiritual realm.
“This is being done to hoodwink the gullible masses in supporting their bid.”
Mnangagwa has publicly stated that he would retire in 2028, but his supporters have been pushing for him to stay on until 2030, which necessitates amendments to the constitution..
Although the ruling party has claimed that it is in the process of amending the constitution so that the 83 year-old leader stays on, leadership hopefuls are plotting to take the throne.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is considered Mnangagwa’s backers, but the president’s loyalists do not want the former army commander to be Zimbabwe’s next president.
The Zanu PF leader’s faction has been toying around new names for his potential successor, including business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
“We are watching from afar to see which prophets will be used through financial inducement to make a declaration that a certain candidate is endorsed by ‘God’ to lead Zimbabwe,” said another source.
In 2016 Shepherd Bushiri made a prophecy titled “I see a crown” while praying for Vice President Kembo Mohadi.
The following year, the former Beitbridge East MP landed the second most important job in the country.
In Zimbabwe where more than 70% of the population considers itself Christians, the influence of prophets or prophecy is huge such that public sentiment favours a word from church leaders.
