In a seismic shift within Zimbabwe’s apostolic sects, prominent cleric Madzibaba Enock has issued a forceful decree to all apostolic leaders to end child marriages, condemning the widespread abuse of religious doctrine to exploit minors.
Launching a nationwide engagement exercise, the influential leader declared that the misuse of faith to sanctify child abuse and forced unions must be “uprooted and burnt” to create a healthy generation aligned with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.
“The church robe is not a shield for criminality. Our sacred doctrines are being twisted by wolves to prey on the girl child,” Madzibaba Enock said on the sidelines of his church gathering in Harare. “I order all sects under our broad apostolic order to cease this plague immediately. To the perpetrators hiding in our folds: your time is over.”
His crusade comes against a grim backdrop of persistent reports of early and forced marriages within some apostolic communities, where religious isolation and misinterpreted teachings have often shielded offenders. Madzibaba Enock’s direct condemnation marks a pivotal public reckoning from within the powerful religious bloc.
The national campaign, set to traverse all provinces, aims to re-educate leaders and congregations, repositioning the fight for women’s empowerment as central to both faith and national development.
He explicitly tied the mission to the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), stating that economic progress is impossible while half the population is marginalised.
“The achievement of NDS2 is pivotal, and its engine is the empowered woman—educated and free from childhood trauma,” he asserted. “We cannot build a prosperous upper-middle-income society on the broken backs of our daughters. This fight is a spiritual and national duty.”
The initiative has drawn cautious praise from child rights advocates, who view internal reform as critical to lasting change. It also aligns with increased government rhetoric on ending harmful practices, presenting a rare synergy between state vision and religious authority.
As Madzibaba Enock’s convoy prepares to spread its message to remote communities, the nation watches to see whether this bold directive will trigger genuine reform within deeply traditionalist sects or meet entrenched resistance. The call for a “healthy, free generation” has now been delivered from the pulpit.
