His Generation Church founder, Activist, Motivational Speaker and Author Pastor Evan Mawarire has joined the race in this year’s crunch election
The #ThisFlag cleric who raised the ire of the Zimbabwean authorities a year ago by calling for a nationwide shutdown over the declining economic situation announced on his Twitter page that he would be contesting for a Harare council seat as an independent candidate.
Mawarire said just sitting around and waiting for change was not enough.
He tweeted:
I”M RUNNING FOR COUNCIL IN THE UPCOMING 2018 ELECTIONS. We cannot change anything by standing on the sidelines and hoping change will happen on its own. CHANGE STARTS ON THE GROUND! Watch my announcement #PeoplesOwnVoice pic.twitter.com/RqOO29YYEj
— #ThisFlag E Mawarire (@PastorEvanLive) March 27, 2018
The charismatic pastor is running under a coalition of individuals calling themselves People’s Own Voice (Povo) and is vying for Harare’s Ward 17 council seat, according to a NewsDay report.
Pastor Mawarire rose to prominence after he posted a video calling on people to revolt against former president Robert Mugabe’s regime. He became the face of anti-Mugabe demonstrations, a move that got him into trouble with law enforcers and at one time forced him to leave the country for safety.
Well, before he burst on the national scene two years ago, Pastor Mawarire had always been a leadership figure. Between 1993 and 1994, he served as Child President after having been elected child MP for Mashonaland West Province’s Hurungwe constituency.
From 2007 to 2010, he was based in London England as the Regional Director responsible for Europe and the Asia Pacific Rim for his then church Celebration Ministries International.
In 2010 he founded His Generation Church, a Christian sect described as an urban church family that inspire generations to live the purposes of God in their time.
In 2011 he was chosen as among of Zimbabwe’s most ten Outstanding Young People by the Junior Chamber International for moral leadership.
In February Pastor Evan was among some of the rights activists from across the world who presented at the 10th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy in Switzerland.
Commenting on his personality politician David Coltart told International Business Times:
“He really has emerged as a leader and I’m assuming, a selfless one, not someone who is seeking leadership or that kind of a position, just someone who found himself in a leadership position and has taken that on.”
Now as he eyes for the Harare council seat it remains to be seen if he will be able to balance his call as a religious minister and his responsibility as a political figure, a concern that was raised by Zimbabwe Association of Traditional Churches General Secretary Bishop Takawira Dongo when he submitted that pastors should desist from meddling in politics.