(Last Updated on October 25, 2022 by ZIMDAILY EDITOR)
By Simba Chikanza
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s personal prophet, Andrew Wutaunashe leading a small group of preachers who include Nehemiah Mutendi and Fidelis Mukonori, this time last year, announced to the British community’s most senior religious advisor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, that he should tell the UK government to remove targeted sanctions against Mnangagwa and a close clique of aides. Justin Welby in response told him that sanctions relief is only for those who do not steal their own country’s money.
Wutaunashe had at the time claimed he is representing a broad consensus of preachers when he said “Zimbabwe has been under sanctions for 50 years and they are hurting the poor and destroying infrastructure.”
He claimed that he is troubled by the plight of the poor. He said, “we’re actually troubled for the poor… because of the politics and the discord led nature to sanctions and Zimbabwe has been under sanctions for 50 years, ever since the days you’re aware of, of Ian Smith.
“But now the present sanctions are crippling the poor, they are not tutoring anybody, so we wanted to ask, even now we had the UN repertoire, who came and confirmed the same, investigated everything and discovered that the sanctions are actually doing the same(sic), destroying infrastructure that supposed to be for the poor, for the common people, destroying employment, and we are requesting your voice, and we felt in particular that your voice, you would help us you would help the political powers that be, to have a bit of conscience.”
Responding, Archbishop Welby said to Wutaunashe, “thank you very much and this is very very important.”
He continued saying, Sanctions Relief Initiative should be only for the poor who don’t steal money that is not theirs.
He said, “I will obviously read this later today.
“I will discuss it with other people here and see how we can advocate for sanctions relief while ensuring that those who steal money that is not theirs…don’t benefit from sanctions relief.”
