Guti’s unfulfilled dream: How late revered Zimbabwean church leader tried to bring Chamisa, Mnangagwa together

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AS an old adage says with age comes wisdom.

This rings true to the late clergyman Ezekiel Guti whose grey hair symbolised the wisdom that the revered Apostle had amassed in his 100 years.

Guti, credited for founding the biggest independent Pentecostal church in the land, Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA) passed on last week in South Africa.

This marked an end to an end of an eight decades long ministry.

His demise led to an outpouring of condolence messages from the political divide.

This is testament to his influence in the political space with nemesis Zanu PF leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa apportioning respect on the centenarian.

His death marked a demise of his dream that he embarked in 2019, months after Zimbabwe held its historic and disputed 2018 general elections.

The country found itself in a fractious position with Mnangagwa and Chamisa, then leader of MDC-Alliance, being at loggerheads as a result of the elections.

Guti, together with other religious leaders sought to bring Mnangagwa and Chamisa to the dialogue table to iron out their political differences.

Chamisa turned out for the event that was held at a local Harare Hotel with Mnangagwa being represented by his party’s fourth influential force, Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri.

Taking to the podium, Guti urged Chamisa and Mnangagwa to bury their political hatchet and put Zimbabwe’s interests ahead of their egos.

“At times it is necessary to lose one’s interest to accommodate another. It is like in a marriage, couples give up some of their interests to stay together,” said Guti.

Guti’s gesture brought renewed hope to a polarised Zimbabwean society that the two political heavyweights would smoke a peace pipe, ushering the country on a new path.

However four years after the audacious bid to bring the political protagonists on the negotiating table the two have failed to acknowledge each other, deepening political divisions.

Political analyst Lazarus Sauti contends that the failed dialogue was a missed opportunity for Chamisa and Mnangagwa to find each other.

“All the problems bedevilling Zimbabwe are triggered by the political climate in the country. The country should deal with its politics to stimulate sustainable socio-economic development.

“In light of this, the dialogue that was being initiated by Guti and company in 2019 between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa and died a stillbirth, was a missed opportunity on the part of the politicians and the general citizenry. These two leaders should sit and iron out issues affecting the country today,” he said. — _*NewZimbabwe*_