Residents of Ashdown Park, Harare, are in a heated conflict with Heartfelt International Ministries (HIM) over the church’s plan to host a three-day Benny Hinn healing crusade in the residential neighborhood starting on October 10.

The event, which is expected to draw an estimated 100,000 attendees from Zimbabwe and the wider region, has been met with strong opposition from the Ashdown Park Residents and Ratepayers Association (APRRA).

The residents are not happy about Rosedene Drive being closed, as most Bloomingdale residents use this road to access their homes.

“Residents feel completely sidelined, stating that the church failed to seek permission or consult with the community before deciding on and planning the large-scale event,” said the APRRA Chairperson, Muriel Shingai Mangwende.

Mangwende suggested that the church’s attempt to involve them now is being called in when the horse has already been lodged by residents with authorities like the Harare City Council.

However, HIM is reportedly continuing with preparations for the crusade.

Former Zimbabwean opposition leader turned social media activist Nelson Chamisa has enrolled for a two-year doctoral programme at the University of Oxford, sources close to him have confirmed.

The development comes months after Chamisa announced his withdrawal from frontline politics, leaving many of his supporters uncertain about the future of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the party he founded in 2022.

A close associate told Hurumende News Hub that Chamisa’s decision to pursue studies abroad signals “a new chapter” in his life, while deepening questions about his long-term role in Zimbabwean politics.

“Chamisa has left his followers behind to focus on a PhD at Oxford. He believes this is the right time to reflect, retool, and prepare for new opportunities,” the source said.

Chamisa, once considered the face of opposition politics in Zimbabwe, shocked many in January 2024 when he announced he was stepping down as CCC leader, citing infiltration and lack of accountability within the movement.

Since then, he has maintained an active presence on social media, but his formal political activities have been minimal.

Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor by training, rose to prominence as a youthful protégé of the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

He narrowly lost the disputed 2018 presidential election to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and has remained a polarising figure in Zimbabwean politics ever since.

His decision to leave the political stage has left many of his followers without clear leadership, with internal divisions continuing to fracture the opposition movement.

This Oxford enrollment could mark a permanent exit from active politics, while others believe he may return with renewed strategy and international clout.

For now, Chamisa’s political future remains uncertain, but his academic pursuit in the United Kingdom signals a definitive shift away from the turbulent terrain of Zimbabwe’s opposition politics.

A female legislator has sparked debate in Parliament after proposing the castration of convicted r@pists, especially repeat offenders, as a way to curb rising cases of s@xual violence.

Goromonzi West Member of Parliament, Beata Nyamupinga, raised the issue during Tuesday’s National Assembly sitting, urging lawmakers to urgently introduce tougher measures to safeguard women and children.

Her appeal came in the wake of two disturbing cases that drew widespread outrage the r@pe of a Grade 7 girl by a tout at Harare’s Rezende bus terminus, and a viral video showing two teenage boys allegedly gang-r@ping a 17-year-old girl.

“We are crying over the issue of rape. We are grieving as women of this country. The whole nation is not happy to see a grown man having s@xual intercourse with a young child,” Nyamupinga told Parliament.

She further encouraged her female colleagues to lobby President Emmerson Mnangagwa directly, stressing that traditional prison sentences were not enough since many offenders re-offend after release.

“Can we have something as a matter of urgency to ensure that if somebody is caught having s@xual intercourse with a minor, they should be castrated. If he maintains that manhood, he will not have the discipline to stop,” she argued.

Nyamupinga’s remarks received applause across the House, with many MPs acknowledging the seriousness of the issue.

Acting Speaker Joseph Tshuma condemned the abuse of minors as “incomprehensible and appalling” and advised Nyamupinga to introduce a Private Members’ Bill to push for tougher penalties, including possible life imprisonment for child r@pists.

“While Zimbabwe has abolished the death penalty, certain crimes, particularly the rape of minors, demand severe consequences,” Tshuma said.