'There is freedom of worship but not healing' - Zimbabwean pastors warned

Zimbabwe’s health ministry has warned pastors against healing diseases without medical practice certificates from health authorities.

Deputy Health and Child Care Minister Aldrin Musiiwa told the media on Wednesday that churches and faith healers should register their practice with the health ministry if their healing powers can be backed by empirical evidence.

“There are various mushrooming churches that are purely premised on healing sessions, and healing in this country is regulated, meaning that they must be regulated,” he was quoted by local news portal NewsDay.

“You can’t just start healing from nowhere when you are not registered, you need a certificate for the healing practice and failure to do so is soon going to lead to prosecution,” he warned.

Musiiwa also added that: “There is freedom of worship in the Constitution, but under this freedom there is no freedom of healing, therefore, all healers must be known and they must be registered.”

He cited the proliferation of churches that advertise healing sessions and telling people that they have cured AIDS without any medical test to prove the claim.

The deputy minister vowed to crack down on the practice which is believed to be patronized by a large number of Zimbabweans.