Samuel Akinbodunse, a South Africa-based Nigerian pastor, has stirred controversy in Zimbabwe with a prophecy that Nelson Chamisa, leader of the opposition party, would win the country’s 2023 presidential election.

The Pretoria-based pastor, who is also the founder of Samuel Akinbodunse Ministries, said in a Facebook video on January 4 that God told him that Nelson Chamisa’s time had come.

Chamisa, 44, lost to Emmerson Mnangagwa, the incumbent president in 2018.

Akinbodunse had said that God told him that it was not yet time for Chamisa in 2018. He told his congregants that Mnangagwa would be president.

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He added that Chamisa would be victorious after several gruelling legal challenges in 2023.

“Zimbabwe. Some time ago, the Lord said to me that I should speak to Chamisa to go and be silent and that it was not yet time for him to come as president… I said that Mnangagwa was the one that God was taking in order to show Zimbabwe the way,” Akinbodunse said.

“But this time around, the Lord said to me that Honourable Chamisa’s time has come. So I see this man as the next president, but it will be very hard. It will be a battle from court to court. Many lives will be lost.

“There will be a great fight on the street. There will be burning of tyres, burning of properties; but at last, victory shall be given to the man.

“Please write my prophecy down.”

The Nigerian pastor also said the election’s outcome would result in a lot of bloodshed on the streets of Zimbabwe.

Akinbodunse’s prophecy has, however, sparked controversy and divided Zimbabweans on social media.

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While some Zimbabweans welcomed the prophecy, saying that they could not wait for it to come to pass, others questioned it.

“God has spoken. Mr @nelsonchamisa is the next President of Zimbabwe”, @alistarchibanda, a Twitter user, wrote

“‘Psalm 118:22-23 says, ‘The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. ‘Ini I believe in prophecy especially from authentic prophets like this one. So let it be for sure. Ngazvitodaro wena.'”

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Believe Chikom, another Zimbabwean Twitter user, disagreed with the prophesy, saying it was a mere prediction that might end up not becoming a reality.

“Predicting is not prophesying; soothsaying is not prophesying either. A prophesy is there to warn and to caution the people to get things right with God. God sent a lying spirit to a prophet, 1 kings 22 — tell Ahab that he would win in battle against Assyria — only to have him killed,'” Chikom wrote.

“There has to be a ‘proofread’ and I am sure you knew that before making such needless declarations,” BAWSE, another Twitter user, said.