Zim prophet predicts chaos, strife in southern Africa

Harare - A popular Zimbabwean prophet has warned of chaos and strife across southern Africa due to a wave of political violence that could manifest at any time, News Day reported on Friday.

Walter Magaya, a leader at Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries, urged politicians to refrain from resorting to brutality to crush the uprisings, following a prophecy that he made two weeks ago.

Magaya called on the leaders of southern African nations to pay attention and not take his predictions lightly.

The prophet's revelations came amid increasing restiveness in Zimbabwe, where many citizens have resorted to taking their grievances to the streets in protest to demand better governance and an end to corruption within state entities.

"There is going to be more violence, everywhere in SADC. The devil is angry, saying SADC has been at peace for so long. So there will be violence. What I will advise the leaders, who are listening, is to engage the nearest church to speak about peace", Magaya was quoted as saying.

Civil war 

With South Africa due to hold local government elections in August and Mozambique experiencing an undeclared war due to insurgency brought about by Renamo militants, Magaya called on leaders to keep their offices in check and tend to the needs of their people.

Protests have broken out across South Africa ahead of the upcoming elections, with disgruntled citizens staging strike action over unfavourable political candidates.

At least five people died during violent protests across South Africa's business capital of Tshwane on Tuesday, with citizens taking to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction over a mayoral candidate that was selected by the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

In addition, protesters burnt two buses and threw stones at cars in Cape Town on Wednesday night following claims that they were unhappy with the ward candidate process.

On the other hand, tension was flaring up in neighbouring Mozambique, more than 20 years after the end of a decades-long civil war.

There were reports of sporadic fighting between the government and fighters loyal to the opposition, forcing growing numbers of refugees to cross the border into neighbouring Zimbabwe.

The ruling party, Frelimo, has been in power since Mozambique's independence from Portugal in 1975, but the opposition, Renamo, was demanding an independent government in the north, where it had support.