BiAS 7 – The Bible and Politics in Africa
wife of Apostle Ezekiel H. Guti founder of ZAOGA (Zimbabwe Assem-
blies of God in Africa) echoed the same sentiments as she encouraged
women gathered at the Women International Conference held in Harare
to take a decisive stance in all spheres of life, citing her message from
Genesis 1:26-27. As the theme of the conference was: ‘Vision of today’s
Woman’ hence attended by women from all walks of life, she empha-
sised that her words were not confined to ZAOGA women only, but
were meant to help every Zimbabwean Christian woman.^33
According to Guti, women of Zimbabwe had a special task to turn
around the socio-economic and political situation. Instead of complain-
ing and blaming leadership, she said that even though there was intense
socio-economic and political instability, God wanted to speak something
through women. For her, it was time for women to know their stand
(special status) in God. She encouraged women to call upon and to trust
God first in everything. To affirm the worthiness of women, Guti argued
that Genesis 1:26-27, which reads: ‘So God created man in his own im-
age, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created
them’, clearly shows women like men were created in the image of God.
As such, women were (also) created to subdue and to dominate whatever
comes their way, through Jesus Christ. According to her, instead of
being dominated by economic hardships, women are supposed to domi-
nate economic hardships.^34
Apostle Guti emphasised over and over again that women are powerful
instruments; hence they can assist to make change where they seek
change. Understanding that women are the majority in Zimbabwe, Guti
argues that women were going to change the challenging socio-
economic and political situation in Zimbabwe through the positions they
hold in society. Unlike many, she encouraged women to participate or to
be proactive in politics, to hold political positions, a domain considered
to be a male province. She noted that women politicians, for instance,
who are Christians, who fear God, can assist to shun political violence
that we have noted is predominantly perpetrated by men. For her,
women make better leaders and can heal the society of many ‘diseases’
such as corruption. Thus she argues that professional women, who work
in various sectors, can help to uproot corruption in their workplaces.
(^33) Cf. Eunor Guti, address to ‘Today’s Woman International Conference’. http://vimeo.
com/3207849.
(^34) Cf. Eunor Guti, address to ‘Today’s Woman’.