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Tendai Rupapa in CHIWESHE
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa was on Saturday invited to a Holy Communion conference of the African Apostolic Church led by Paul Mwazha where she encouraged women to submit to their husbands and be trustworthy people who speak and dress in a dignified manner all the times.
She encouraged them to have their children immunised against diseases in the wake of the current measles outbreak, undergo regular health checks and be screened for cancer.
As the health ambassador, Amai Mnangagwa commended the Church for allowing its members to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and have health checks.
The church handed over 50 sewing machines to the mother of the nation’s Angel of Hope Foundation for use in her life-changing empowerment programmes across the nation.
Amai Mnangagwa, said with the Church’s permission, she would return to the church for an in-depth discussion with women and initiating income generating projects.
The First Lady was born and bred in Chiweshe.
“I bade farewell to my husband this morning saying I am visiting my rural home to worship at Mwazha. He responded saying he knows the church very well and sent me to pass greetings to his in-laws. I greet you all saying Africa yedu.
Philippians 4 vs 4 says rejoice in the Lord all the times and I say let us rejoice. I am overjoyed by the history I have heard of Baba Mwazha in the place where I was born. This is a place that was blessed by the Angels of God.
“It is a great day where we are preparing the holy communion tomorrow (Sunday) to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ. It is not out of my wisdom, but God made it possible for me to meet the Mwazha church,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa’s message was mainly centred on women, their conduct in the home and health.
“As I see how smartly dressed you are as women; I feel very elated that I have come to my relatives called womenfolk. Women are the backbone of homes. The way we come to these men leaving our homes is done with respect mainly with the aim to help raise families. You shall forgive me men here present because today I need to touch mainly on women. As women we are under our husbands, hence we should be submissive. This means we are helpers in all they do. We are the ones who see to it that the family lives well in the homes and that it is protected. All things at home, we are the keeper.
“Whatever the husband brings home is for you and the family because the husband works for the family. This requires a woman who is forthright and not wasteful. When cooking some do so without moderation resulting in loss of food. We must protect wealth and all that is brought in the home.
“If there are children who manage to go to work, we protect their resources as mothers. A woman must be trustworthy knowing that their demeanour respects the husband. Zvekare munhukadzi anofanira kushanda nesimba achishandisa maoko ake so that we help our husbands,” she said.
A woman, the First Lady emphasised, must walk straight, speak well and be dignified in the way they dress and speak.
“Even when they cook, they must do so smartly and serve well-cooked food. We should serve our husbands food happily. As I traverse the length and breadth of the country I will be happy that there are some women in church who will be praying for me saying there is a woman like us. I urge you to self-introspect and respect that God selected you to serve him in church.
“We expect good manners in church because the church is the one that teaches and gives direction on who must lead the country. Muri church ine mabasa anofambirana nehutongi hunenge huripo panguva iyoyo.
“Naizvozvo muchanamatira kugarika nehutongi hunenge huchiitwa kuti mhuri dzose dzifare munyika yeZimbabwe. Men we say to you after doing all these things at your homes and shown respect, after teaching children the correct path to follow and use our hands, we request that you show us love. Love us. Put us in the correct place as mothers and we sit together as parents discussing well. This helps curb domestic violence because the women will be respectful and keep their heads low,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa showered the church with praises for allowing its members to be vaccinated and have health checks.
She also asked to be allowed to return to the church for an in-depth discussion with women.
“I humbly ask the church leaders to allow me to come back again focusing on women. I am the health ambassador and I am thankful to the leadership of the church for allowing people to be screened for health ailments and get injections.
“If you look at children nowadays there is a measles outbreak that affects children who were not vaccinated. Let’s clap hands for our leadership. These are the churches we want that are in touch with reality,” she said.
The First Lady urged people to pray diligently to God at all times, saying she too had also come to present her challenges to the Lord.
“I have come to worship God with you because I also have my own problems which I said on leaving the church, I am coming out holding a blessing. I have come to cry out to God the challenges of my heart because alone I cannot manage. I thank you for praying for me. We travel a lot and there are many things that we do which cannot succeed without prayer,” she said.
Bishop Alfred Kushamisa Mwazha, who is the chairman of the church’s Priesthood council, said they saw it fit to invite the First Lady because of her educative programmes, mainly for women.
“We have a holy communion conference. We saw it fit to invite our mother to this occasion because we have many women in our church. We understand that she has great lessons for women and we want our women to benefit.
“As a church we have invited the first lady because it is important to invite a mother to her children’s house so we are gratified by her visit here.
“We respect her for the wonderful work that she does countrywide. We have heard about her programme of teaching boys and girls through the Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba programme. She empowers women and teach them to use their hands. Her heart is full of mercy and love and she assists the underprivileged. By visiting this place, she has fulfilled the scriptures which said leaders and priests will work together in working for the Lord,” he said.
Women from the church thanked the First Lady for her teachings which they said would help them greatly.
Mrs Shumirai Chakauya, the wife to Bishop Tazviwinga said she had learnt a lot from the First Lady.
“I am so happy I have learnt a lot of things today from our mother. She encouraged us to be respectful, smart and to get screened for cancer especially cervical and breast cancer. As a country we are blessed to have a mother like her,” she said.
Another worshipper, Mrs Emily Chimukwe Mukumba, said she was spellbound by the First Lady’s works and wished her strength to do even more.
“I am happy for the First Lady’s visit to our church. As a church we have donated sewing machines to her Angel of Hope Foundation because we have seen her initiating projects for vulnerable groups that include sewing,” she said.
Mrs Juliet Bernard Mwazha said she was touched by the First Lady’s words of advice.
“I was overjoyed by Amai’s visit here at Nzvimbo. I was touched by her words of advice to submit to our husbands and teach our children good morals expected of them. We should teach our children to fear God. Living with respect in our homes ends violence in the home. I am going to teach other women in my community what I have learnt today,” she said.
Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Monica Mavhunga, praised the mother of the nation for her love.
“We are happy because you have love for your whole family of Zimbabwe without leaving anyone behind. We are grateful with your programmes which are benefiting the whole nation. Your wish is for every woman to succeed through the use of her hands. As Mashonaland Central, we keep on praying for you to be kept longer as your children learn from you,” she said.
Online Reporter