CIO bans Tsvangirai

Tsvangirai, who had been invited as guest of honour at the ZCC annual gathering at the church’s Mbungo Shrine in Defe, Gokwe in the Midlands, was expected to talk about the ongoing national healing and reconciliation process in Zimbabwe.
 
He was expected to attend the gathering,together with Acting President, John Nkomo and MDC-M vice-president, Gibson Sibanda.
 
Sources said the CIO told ZCC leaders to stop the meeting after being informated that it Tsvangirai would be the guest speaker at the ZCC.
 
A senior MDC-T official said: “There was so much excitement within the church when it was announced the Prime Minister was coming. I suppose
that is what irked the CIO and they instructed that the meeting be stopped.”
 
Church members said their leaders were left with no option but to cancel the Saturday meeting after pressure from the CIO.
 
While Tsvangirai’s meeting with members of the ZCC church was scuttled, President Robert Mugabe was on the other side launching a programme to lure churches to his side.
 
Last week he attended a Johhanne Marange gathering at Mafararikwa in Marange where he wore the church’s white attire.
 
President Mugabe told the gathering that he supported polygamy as it was provided for in the county’s constitution, but said he was against gays’ rights in Zimbabwe.