Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Nick Mangwana has dismissed Apostle Talent Chiwenga’s request for a week to visit his wife’s grave upon returning to Zimbabwe, saying the preacher does not need government permission to visit his deceased relatives.

Mangwana hit back at Chiwenga following an emotional live broadcast on Sunday in which the leader of Jesus Revelation Ministries announced plans to return home despite fears that he could be arrested, abducted or killed.

Chiwenga said he had made peace with whatever might happen upon his return but appealed to the government to allow him time to visit his wife’s grave, his parents’ graves and his father’s homestead.

“I request that they give me one week. During that one week, I would like to visit my wife’s grave,” he said, describing the visit as something he had wanted to do for a long time.

He also said he wanted to visit his parents’ graves and see the tombstone he had erected on his father’s grave.

Responding in an X post titled “We Have No Interest in Grave Visitor”, Mangwana said the government had no interest in Chiwenga or his request and insisted that he was free to visit his family’s graves without seeking official permission.

“He does not need a government permit for his grief, nor our blessing to stand by a tombstone,” Mangwana wrote.

The permanent secretary accused the preacher of using the appeal to portray the government as a villain and generate public sympathy and online engagement.

Mangwana also criticised Chiwenga for raising the issue in an emotional public broadcast, describing the use of deceased relatives to attract sympathy on social media as inappropriate.

During his Sunday broadcast, Chiwenga said he was aware that his announcement would reach the government, the police, intelligence services, the military and the President’s Office, giving them time to prepare for his return.

He said he feared he could be arrested, abducted or killed, adding that he would not bring his children because he did not want them to witness anything that might happen to him.

“Let them do what seems good in their sight,” he said, adding that he had submitted himself to whatever awaited him.

Chiwenga, who left Zimbabwe 5 years ago, revealed that he left the country not to flee Zanu-PF, but to seek medical attention after surviving two assassination attempts in 2019 and 2020.

He stated that the two accidents claimed the lives of his wife and six others.

Chiwenga is well-known for his critical sermons against government corruption and other prominent church leaders.