SDA Elder Warns Church Against Political Instrumentalisation Over “HE” Caption

An SDA Church elder warns against linking the denomination to political controversy after a social media caption sparked speculation over Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s alleged ambitions (image source)

HARARE — A Seventh-day Adventist Church elder has urged the denomination to distance itself from political controversy after a social media caption referring to businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei as “HE” sparked speculation about his alleged presidential ambitions.

Elder Thabani Mpofu said the caption, copied from a WhatsApp status, was seized upon by political opponents and then awkwardly linked to the church by some of Tagwirei’s associates, who claimed “HE” stood for “Head Elder.” Mpofu described that explanation as “false, childish and abortive” and warned against dragging the church into partisan disputes.

“The political gain to be had from that unguarded moment was obvious and easily seized,” Mpofu said in a statement that circulated widely on social media. He criticised Tagwirei’s team for failing to respond politically and instead invoking the church, a move Mpofu said risked exposing the denomination to unnecessary attacks.

Mpofu called on Tagwirei to instruct his associates to stop using the church as political cover and urged the SDA leadership to protect the institution’s reputation. “If he will not distance his political manoeuvres from the church, then the church must act to protect its reputation,” he said.

The elder warned that conflating religious identity with political ambition could make the church a target and undermine its spiritual mission. He urged clear separation between individual political activity and institutional church identity, saying the SDA should not be used as a political base.

The controversy highlights the sensitivity of religious institutions being drawn into political narratives and the reputational risks that can follow when private social media posts are amplified in the public sphere. Church leaders and members have been urged to maintain institutional neutrality while individuals exercise their civic rights.