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Zimbabwe leader wants region to bar foreign poll
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa wants southern African countries to start holding their elections without international observers. President Mnangagwa was speaking at a state dinner he hosted for visiting Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera, who had a two day state visit to the country as part of his bridge building with other countries around that region of Africa. The Zimbabwean leader, who won a controversial election two years ago, said foreign observers were biased. President Mnangagwa said that by successfully holding a presidential election re-run early this year without foreign observers, Malawi had showed the region that it can go it alone. The
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southern African country held polls in June without the United Nations, Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and foreign civil society organisations, “but they were successful, peaceful elections conducted by Malawi on its own,” he said. “This makes us think whether it’s still necessary in future for Sadc countries to look for supervision from across oceans,” President Mnangagwa said. Zimbabwe will hold its next General Election in 2023 and the 77-year-old ruler is accused of trying to create a one party state by clamping down on the mainstream opposition. The Zimbabwean leader accuses Western countries such as the United States of plotting to topple him. His government this week accused the opposition of conniving with an unnamed Western superpower to smuggle guns to cause chaos in Zimbabwe. President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was under attack from Western countries that were opposed to its land reform programme and had imposed sanctions on the country. “These sanctions were a direct response by Britain and her allies to Zimbabwe’s land reform programme in 1999/2000,” he said. “We make no apologies for taking back our land and we are happy that the people have been reunited with their land.” President Mnangagwa claims the sanctions were meant to weaken the ruling Zanu PF party so that it can be replaced by a pliant opposition. “It has become very evident that these sanctions are designed to effect regime change,” he charged, before sending a chilling message to his local opponents. “Those who prefer confrontation, anarchy, delinquency, civil disobedience and peddling falsehoods in a bid to unseat democratically elected governments have no place in the country and indeed in the Sadc region,” President Mnangagwa said. Zimbabwe has been clamping down on opposition and civil society activists that tried to rollout protests against corruption on July 31. The protests were ruthlessly stopped by security forces and several activists, including prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, were arrested for allegedly inciting violence.
“... After 30 years of raising quality human capital (over 10,000 people trained and counting), The Latter Rain Assembly pastored by Pastor Tunde Bakare, maximized discontinuity by rebranding as The Citadel Global Community Church- CGCC. It is no coincidence that initial facility of the church stands on a renovated factory building, previously owned by one among the many manufacturers who had to close shop in late 80’s as a result of the hostile operating environment of that period. Pastor Bakare can relate with this time, having closed his legal chambers and businesses to dedicate his life to the service of God and all the families of the earth as a true descendant of Abraham. The CGCC formerly known as The Latter Rain Assembly developed its acquired property into a relatively modern facility that housed the following facilities; - A main auditorium, offices, - Health Clinic, - Bookshop, - Sunday School and
LATTER RAIN MOVES TO NEXT LEVEL
- Event Halls. After 30 years in the same facility with a membership in their thousands, the church took an inspired decision to create a Platform for the youthful and rapidly growing membership to put to practice the core purpose of the Ministry- in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
The Citadel as described by Pastor Bakare is a Vertical City with horizontal proportions, a new phenomenon in church architecture with the following distinct but synchronous ecologies;
- A state of the art 5,200-seater auditorium, a much bigger
capacity than current location of the CGCC.
- 24-hour prayer centre & telephone counselling ministry as well as family life centre open to all for pre & post marital counselling.
- Health care open to members and the public for free - 40 class rooms for the use of the creche, nursery and primary schools - Ample facilities for the school of government; business & leadership academy; school of parenting; finishing school; skills acquisition centre, free public e-library and bookshop open to members of the public who register - Event centres serviced by an industrial kitchen and restaurant, commercial outlets for retail, offices and banks, media studio with advanced editing suites and sound stages 3-level 600+ Car park, - Waste Management and Clean Energy Amenities To ensure the sustainability of The Citadel, the governance architecture is like the river that parts into four major heads; 1) The Church: CGCC, 2) The corporation: the commercial arm for wealth creation, 3) The schools: the human capital development arm &, 4) The foundation: for corporate social responsibility- social intervention. The Citadel offers an ecosystem that seeks to empower everyday people to attain their full potentials by facilitating the integration of work, play and learning. It seeks to empower the next generation of leaders who will go into the mountains of culture to solve problems in politics, economy, media and entertainment, education, religion and social development. It is the only Branch of the CGCC, a Ministry which has overtime supported its members to set-up other ministries across the world with no franchising agreement to remit tithes and offerings but rather as sons who have matured to
the point of marriage and need space to lead their families
but who can visit home anytime for fellowship, supports and encouragements. It is for this vision of an innovative and viable platform for societal transformation that Pastor Bakare along with community leaders and members have committed themselves to work, seeking by magnificent but righteous exertions in the marketplace and at personal inconvenience to finance its
development...”
These people should earn our respects as they are recognized by the British’s Queen for their contribution to developing the United Kingdom. On the list are our own including Lurine Cato, Marcia Dixon, John Fisher, Karen Gibson, Tessy Ojo, Shirley McGreal, and Muyiwa Olarewaju for being awarded the BEM, MBE’s, an OBE and CBE, in the 2020 Queens honours list. We know from first hand experience how
much work each of these individuals has invested into making what they do work in United Kingdom. Too often, it is only the visible and high profile stuff they do that is seen. I’ve personally experienced the kindness of each out of the limelight. Making themselves available for interviews, giving me thousands of ponds worth of products for The Ministers Appreciation Ball without charge, free performances, free promotion, free speaking engagements and services, giving up already pressured time to talk about life, and so much more. They are ALWAYS happy to say yes (I’ve never heard the word no to a request) when asked and never a mention of fees (and no liberties are taken either - the relationships are reciprocal!). They are generous people! Each of their respective contributions to British Society is absolutely indisputable and there is no doubt they are worthy recipients of their awards. I wish you all even more success and happiness as you continue to serve others. I hope you all get to celebrate and make the most of the day - don’t let the circumstances rob you of your day. Muy (Muyiwa) you’ve come a long way from back in the day. Those that know you would say it is well deserved. You’ve kept it real and kept your head high and feet to the
ground! As Buju said, ‘it’s not an easy road, dem see de glamma and de glitter and dem feel a bed rose; but who feels it knows.’ Your Mother and Father would have been overwhelmed with pride had they seen this day. May their names be remembered as a blessings to the world. Individual write ups coming soon! This news should boost our health and wellbeing on Mental Health Day. Lurine Cato, Marcia Dixon, John Fisher, Karen Gibson, Tessy Ojo, Shirley McGreal, Ojo, and Muyiwa Olarewaju, I salute you on being recognised for what you have achieved. You stand on the shoulders of giants and others will stand on your shoulders and believe the impossible is possible because of your example. Wishing you a happy Black History Month. Love and respect to you all! Blessings.
Tessy Ojo Receives Special Honour From Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II’s list of honours for 2020 has been revealed, and it includes some notable names! Head of the Diana Award charity Tessy Ojo and The Great British Bake Off’s Mary Berry both received special titles from the queen, and so did those working to provide aid during the pandemic. Find out more about this year’s recipients here! Tessy Ojo has been recognized for her work as head of the Diana Award charity in a very special way! As People shares, Ojo was included on Queen Elizabeth II’s list of honours this year— a list that recognizes those who have made important contributions for the public— and she opened up about what this new title means for her! Ojo says honour makes her feel she has a “bigger mandate” Ojo was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the queen during the special awards ceremony, which was originally scheduled to take place in June. “I am overwhelmed. It feels like a mandate for me to go and do more,” Ojo said to People of receiving the royal designation. “This tells me that young people have put their trust in me and I cannot afford to give up. I now look wide and far and look beyond the U.K.,” she continued. “I now have a bigger mandate and that’s what the honor feels like for me.” It’s no surprise that Ojo is expanding her horizons even further, because as People shares, she has helped to put the Diana Award on the map globally! CBE stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire This is awarded for having a prominent role at national/regional level of impacting lives of people in the communities in the United Kingdom. Congratulations to Dame Tessy Ojo. (CBE )
