Hopewell Chin’ono has reacted sharply to a viral video showing Zimbabwean congregants instructed to use sjamboks (whips) during a prayer session to “spiritually beat” the enemies hindering their progress.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Chin’ono criticized this behavior, saying:
“In a country where women can easily be mobilized to take sticks, sjamboks, and stones to attack imaginary evil spirits stopping them from finding husbands, the kleptocratic government can rule forever. These are the same people who go on to vote!”
He lamented how many Zimbabweans still believe in such “utter nonsense,” which allows the ruling ZANU-PF to act with impunity.
Chin’ono pointed out the deeper societal issue: the persistence of superstition and desperation in the face of harsh socioeconomic realities. He referenced Samora Machel, the first president of independent Mozambique, who famously denounced superstition as a “religion of feeble minds” and a colonial relic used to keep African populations submissive.
Chin’ono argued that as long as a significant part of the population is distracted by supernatural concerns, political leaders can easily exploit these beliefs to maintain power, deflect accountability, and avoid addressing real issues like poverty, unemployment, corruption, and the collapse of public services.
Instead of focusing on imaginary spiritual enemies, Chin’ono said, people should direct their anger at the ruling party responsible for the country’s economic destruction.
