Felix Mukonowengwe

Career

Harvest Time Ministries

Felix and Spiwe Mukonowengwe founded Harvest Time Ministries (HTM) in 1984. HTM was founded in Bindura.

According to the HTM church website, Mukonowengwe was involved in a number of national campaigns like Jesus Alive Crusades when he became the first black to use national public grounds on crusades in Zimbabwe like Rufaro Stadium in 1982.

He was also involved in the media Blitz-Turning Point, Anti-Moslem, Target 2000, Farming God's Way, Peace Initiatives both locally and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

HTM runs a number of Social projects in Bindura which include educational assistance to orphans and vulnerable children, women empowerment, skills training, Farming God's Way training and civic education. A service arm; Project Compassion Trust was established to manage all these projects.^[1]

Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ)

He was the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) national co-ordinator of the EFZ’s halaal boycott campaign. In 1997, the EFZ organised boycotts of fast-food chains and chicken and beef suppliers whose products are certified halaal.

Felix Mukonowengwe is quoted by South Africa's Mail & Guardian as having said:

"We know the Muslims have hidden agendas. It is to form an Islamic party and to change the government. One day, we know, these guys will rule."

At the time the EFZ produced a pamphlet titled Operation Mobilisation which urged Christians to pray for “those who are ignorantly being drawn into Islam”, including members of the government.

The decision to boycott halaal products came after a meeting in November 1996 by 300 pastors at the EFZ’s annual meeting who took a hard look at the “dangers of Islam” and, particularly, at halaal.

Part of the EFZ Operation Mobilisation pamphlet said:

In a method similar to witchcraft, the Muslims believe that by coercing people to eat halaal food, they are submitting to Allah and to Shariah law. In this they are becoming Muslims.

Faced with the threat of a boycott, the Cold Storage Company (CSC), immediately buckled under and stopped the halaal practice at all but two of its abattoirs, hoping to be able to use the remaining two for exports to Malaysia and for the local Muslim community.

Fearful of contamination of halaal with non-halaal carcasses and in response to the CSC’s abandonment of the 20-year-old agreement, the Council of Scholars withdrew its certification, and signs went up in the mosques, warning that the CSC label was no longer a guarantee of halaal beef.^[2]

Zimbabwe Churches' Sanctions Relief Initiative (ZICSRI)

On 8 November 2021, Felix Mukonowengwe was part of seven local clerics and one lady under the banner of the Zimbabwe Churches' Sanctions Relief Initiative (ZICSRI) who had a meeting with the head of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, in England.

Mukonowengwe and his colleagues handed over a letter seeking support in the removal of economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West. They also requested Archbishop Welby to deliver another letter of request for the removal of sanctions to United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The ZICSRI were part of the official Zimbabwe delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland. The delegation was headed by Reverend Dr Andrew Wutawunashe. Other members of the delegation apart from Wutawunashe and Felix Mukonowengwe were Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, Bishop Trevor Manhanga, Father Fidelis Mukonori, Reverend Dr Farai Katsande, Ms Elizabeth Karonga and Bishop Peter Zvanaka Mukwena.^[3]

References