Abton Mashayanyika
Abton Mashayanyika is a bishop in the Habbakuk Apostolic Faith Mission church in Mberengwa. [1]
Nicknamed Bhito, Mashayanyika is a ZANU-PF member and claims to have been a collaborator during Zimbabwe's war of independence in the 1970s. [2]
He is also a member of the neighbourhood watch operating in Mabika, Gaururo and Mudavanhu areas. Locals say he uses his prophetic gift to catch thieves.
He is also the ZANU PF Commisar for Ward 12 in Mberengwa North District.
Events
Mashayanyika threatened to kill Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa and his family before the video recording went viral on social media in July 2022.
He made the threats while addressing a ZANU PF local meeting at Rampopo Hills under Chief Mapiravana in Mberengwa North. In the video, Mashayanyika was heard saying:
When we say ‘down with Muzorewa’ what does that mean? It means he must die. When we say ‘down with a witch’ what does that mean? It means the witch must die. When we say ‘down with sellouts’, what does that mean? He must be killed. Have you understood what it means? When we say down, down with Chamisa, it means he must be killed. When you respond, you should do so knowing that I’m saying so and so should die. Down with CCC!
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) spokesperson Jasper Mangwana failed to condemn Mashayanyika's threats when the issue was raised during a press conference held at ZEC headquarters on 15 July 2022. [3]
Mangwana said ZEC did not see the video, adding that the Commission had no jurisdiction in matters that involve political opponents issuing threats of violence.
Mashayanyika later told a weekly newspaper that he was "too ZANU-PF" to be arrested. He was quoted as saying:
Who will arrest me? Me? I am ready to die for ZANU PF, but that will not stop me from saying ‘down with sell-outs’. That’s politics to say they must be killed. If they are opposing ZANU PF they are also saying Zanu PF must be killed. I do not like those people because I am a war collaborator. I fought in the liberation war that took over the country from white colonisation. Now some people come and want to give back the country to the whites. We can’t let that happen.
Further Reading
- ↑ , Miriam Mangwaya, Chamisa chilling death threat bishop defiant, Published 17 July 2022, Retrieved 19 July 2022
- ↑ , Nyashadzashe Ndoro, SHOCK as Zanu PF official calls for Nelson Chamisa’s violent death, Published 15 July 2022, Retrieved 19 July 2022
- ↑ , ZEC fails to condemn threats of violence against Chamisa; says never came across the statements, Published 16 July 2022, Retrieved 19 July 2022
