GWERU – Panic and confusion gripped central Gweru on Friday night after the venue’s security personnel fired teargas into crowds gathered for a revival led by Prophet T Freddy at the Alice Building.
Thousands of worshippers had converged on the city-centre venue for the Goodness and Mercy Ministries service, overwhelming the building’s capacity and spilling onto surrounding streets.
Witnesses said the situation deteriorated when security guards moved to contain the swelling crowd outside the entrance. Tear smoke was deployed, triggering scenes of panic as congregants ran for cover.
“The people were not violent. They just wanted to get inside,” said one onlooker. “When the tear smoke was thrown, everyone started running.”
Videos shared on social media showed thick smoke at the entrance while worshippers fled in different directions. Some attempted to force their way into the building to escape the fumes, raising fears of a possible stampede.
While no injuries were officially reported, several people were seen coughing and struggling to breathe after exposure to the tear gas.
The disruption briefly affected proceedings inside the venue. Prophet T Freddy was later seen stepping off the stage holding a wet towel, apparently affected by the smoke drifting into the building.
In remarks after the incident, the cleric maintained that congregants had been peaceful and suggested the force used was unnecessary. He said internal church security had been managing the crowds before the intervention.
Authorities had not issued an official statement on the use of tear gas by the time of publication.
