Maputo The spokesperson of the parliamentary group of Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo Party, Edmundo GalizaMatos Junior, has called for the award of a diploma of honour to a selfstyled prophet, Joe Williams, to be revoked, reports Friday’s issue of the independent newssheet Carta de Mocambique.
Frelimo awarded the diploma to Williams for his commitment, dedication, support and active participation in the recent general election campaign.
Since Williams boasts that he is the richest prophet in Mozambique, it is likely that much of this support was financial.
Although Williams lives in Maputo, the award was made in the southern province of Inhambane, and the diploma was signed by the Frelimo First Secretary in Inhambane, Dinis Vilankulo.
The diploma was awarded in October, but only became public knowledge this month, because Williams decided to boast about it on social media. He wrote Thank you for the attention, Frelimo Party and then, switching into English, he added, When JUSUS (sic) say yes, nobody can say no. So this Christian prophet cannot even spell the name of the founder of his religion.
His Facebook page is full of pictures of fast cars and publicises his own brand of clothing. He preaches the convenient prosperity gospel, which claims that faith in God will lead to material wealth and so, if anyone is rich, it was by the will of God.
GalizaMatos found awarding a diploma to such a man shocking, and on 18 December he wrote a letter to the Secretariat of the Frelimo Central Committee, calling on the Party’s General Secretary Roque Silva to ensure the immediate withdrawal of the diploma of honour granted to citizen Joe Williams.
He cited the clause in the Frelimo statutes which states that Party leaders have a special duty to guarantee the prestige, dignity and public integrity of the functions they exercise, based on merit, professionalism and ethics.
This followed a tweet from GalizaMatos in which he asked to see the licence of the Prophet’s church, if he has one.
Morals, good behaviour and customs are being lost with people of this sort, he warned. He wanted action taken against charlatans who pass themselves off as religious figures. We’ve had enough of this, he exclaimed.
So far, GalizaMatos is the only senior Frelimo figure who has publicly opposed the diploma of honour, but it is a reasonable bet that many more people in the party are appalled by its closeness to religious frauds.
Source: Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique