Mujuru hails indigenous churches

in promoting peace and harmony within communities.
She said Government would continue to give support to churches by allowing freedom of worship.

Speaking at the burial of Bishop Pedzisai Adreas Shoko of the African Faith Mission-Zion Church at Museva Village in Chivi on Saturday, VP Mujuru said indigenous churches were performing a great service to the nation through promoting and maintaining peace in communities.
She said spreading God’s word was creating peaceful co-existence in communities and complementing Government by building morally upright citizens.

“The indigenous churches are doing a great job by promoting peace in the country because it is at the church where people who live in the communities are taught good morals and Government is fully aware of strides made by church leaders such as the late Bishop Shoko in keeping families and communities to live at harmony with each other,” she said.

VP Mujuru said Government was  happy with churches’ role in preaching peace to people of different political persuasions.
“As Government, we are strongly behind the spreading of the word of God and it is quite interesting to see the level of unity in the churches.
“I am happy that there is an environment of peace in the churches and that is what President Mugabe has been encouraging Zimbabweans to do, to be peaceful and live in harmony,” she said.

The Vice President said Zimbabwe was the envy of many nations because of the prevailing peace.
“A lot has been said about how well some countries are but in most of these countries there is no peace and there is always violence while here in Zimbabwe people are living peacefully.

“There is even freedom of worship here and churches can testify to that and after all that is what we went to war and fought for, to have freedom of worship,” she said.

Vice President Mujuru said the late Bishop Shoko had left a legacy that should be emulated by the people of Chivi South and the entire nation.
She also hailed the Zion church for playing a pivotal role in the fight against colonial rule, which led to independence in 1980.

“Zion is one of the indigenous churches that brought independence and they were more visible during the liberation struggle praying for peace and people should remain committed to God like the late Bishop Shoko so that they can get moral development,” she said. Bishop Shoko (78) was ordained in 1995.
He died at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo on October 2 from injuries sustained in a road accident.