LUSAKA, ZAMBIA: FOLLOWING the death of President Michael Sata last month, the ruling Patriotic Front has reportedly been engulfed in a succession wrangle, a development that appears to lend some credence to a prophecy made early this year by controversial Nigerian clergyman Prophet TB Joshua.
On February 9 this year, the Nigerian cleric spoke in a church service broadcast live via popular Christian television station Emmanuel TV that there would be succession disputes in two Southern African nations due to illness and death of sitting presidents. He however never mentioned the names of those countries.
“Two of the nations there (Southern Africa) will face a leadership tussle because of sicknesses and disease,” the clergyman told his fully packed church based in Lagos.
Further, Joshua warned leaders in general to desist from playing politics when it comes to the things of God, stressing the repercussions were severe. “When it comes to religion and Christianity – don’t play politics. You can’t play politics with God unless you want to destroy yourself. Politics is a game but there is a limit.”
Although Prophet TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) is yet to confirm if the prophecy in question was refereeing to Zambia, some Zambians think the prophecy was directed at Zambia and its neighboring Zimbabwe.
“We have been having these leadership disputes in the PF from the time it was first rumored that the president’s health was falling. By the time he died, it has become worse. So, you can easily guess that the prophet was talking about Zambia and the other country is Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe is sick. His wife, the vice president and other ministers are at each other’s necks right now,” argued Michael Kaleji on a Facebook forum.
The ruling PF is engulfed in a serious succession dispute with party Secretary General Edgar Lungu and Acting president Guy Scott employing all manner of methods to outdo each other. Although he is not eyeing the PF presidency, Dr Scott has been accused by Mr Lungu’s supporters of trying to stand in the way of Mr Lungu’s ascendancy to the top PF job.
Mr Lungu and his supporters have insisted on the idea of having the PF central committee choosing the presidential candidate in the upcoming elections while Dr Scott has also implored the party to follow its constitution which stipulates that a general convention be held to find Mr Sata’s successor.
Apart from that, there have also been attempts to strip Dr Guy Scott of his Acting president position through the courts. The case was heard on Friday November 14 although the ruling was not yet delivered when this post was published.
