BY LWANDLE MTHUNZI
Religious leaders in Matabeleland North have officially launched the Pastors4ED provincial chapter, amid calls for churches to encourage its members to promote peace during the election period.
The launch was done in Kamativi early this week presided over by Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo who was represented by Robson Ncube, the party’s provincial member.
Moyo also challenged churches to mobilise their members to vote.
Zimbabwe is expected to hold the second harmonised elections since the current government led by Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed power through a coup in
2017.
Zanu-PF targets to garner 5 million votes for Mnangagwa in the presidential elections.
Even though the Pastors4ED officials have said the organisation is not an attempt to drag the church into politics, Pastors4ED is one of the strategies to mobilise votes for Zanu-PF.
Zanu-PF Kwekwe city councillor Idirashe Dondo is the founding national coordinator for Pastors4ED.
She said church leaders should get empowered by participating in development projects set up by government.
Dondo urged church leaders to lobby stakeholders and authorities to address challenges faced by their members especially in the socio-economic spectrum.