Vic Falls Bans Open Space Churches

IF you're of the same thinking as me, you always look at the ''ma postori'' gatherings and wonder whether they have permission to not only worship but to cut down trees  in the spots they occupy across the bushes of Matabeleland and Zimbabwe.

If you were with me in thinking ,well we have been proven right All that occupying of bushes is against the law. The Victoria fall city councill last week banned open space churches saying they were a nuisance to tourism and a threat to the environment.

An article by all Africa.com points that A number of churches have sprouted along the highway on the buffer zone, which is reserved as an animal corridor forcing the council to take the bold step.

tourists in vic falls pic by rakeytravelandtours.com

 Town Clerk Christopher Dube announced the move to ban these churches at a full council meeting recently.

Dube said the council felt the proliferation of open space worshipers would have a negative bearing on tourism as they are now a common feature along major roads in the resort town.

"We want to engage them before we take action," said Dube.

"Churches should operate formally just like any other business. They should apply to use whatever space and people be informed that there will be a church than for them to just take their equipment and start making noise, that is not acceptable here in Victoria Falls."

worshipers in the bush by Nehandaradio.com

He continued: "This even disturbs tourism. There are places where they can go and worship such as the stadium and the local hall. There are open spaces where we can allow churches to conduct services such as crusades and police should be notified as this will be for a specified period not what they are doing.

"For now we don't want to be confrontational but they should respect the local authority and its by-laws. We will engage them but in the event they don't take advice we would then take action and they will be arrested," added Dube.

However the development is likely to invite war between the local authority and open space worshipers, particularly the apostolic sects and the Zionist churches.

A few years ago the Bulawayo City Council clashed with worshipers when the local authority resolved to ban them from worshiping under trees.

The idea was dropped after a stiff resistance from the churches.

While the controversy is brewing in the resort town i would like to say if you're' cutting trees and using  space illegally bump it down a notch because it wont be long before controversy follows you. Lets UP THE GREEN  by keeping our environment and following environmental laws.