Gullible Legitimation of Poverty through Prophetism: The Case of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Prophetism has become a controversial and contested terrain in Zimbabwe, despite some taking it as the solution to Africa’s problem of democracy and lack of human development. Prophetism is declared as part of the developmental package. The discourse of Prophetism in Zimbabwe has been invoked and implicated in the power and political dynamics, with it being accused of perpetuating the dominance and subordination of ordinary Zimbabweans by those in power and their access to national resources. The birth of the new crop of prophets in Zimbabwe around the turn of the century was heralded as a new beginning for Zimbabwe, which would see the ushering in of an era of prophets who would stand with the people while guiding them to the promised land of ‘milk and honey’. However, with the passage of time, this wave of positivism soon gave way to harsh economic meltdown and poisoned politics which also realised the birthing of ‘portfolio or briefcase prophets’ whose lifeline or benefits and true allegiance was to political leaders and not the masses or ordinary congregants, while in some cases the state has turned a blind eye on the publicised omission and commission of Prophets’ transgressions. This paper makes the case that prophetism in Zimbabwe has legitimised certain political players while delegitimising and silencing both alternative players and the suffering masses.