MORE than 4,000 Watch Tower Church followers will not vote in the October 25 general election allegedly because it is against their religious beliefs.

The Watch Tower Church is located at Kitika area, Kasanga village, along the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Kalambo District in Rukwa Region. The village is the headquarters of the Church in the world.

It was reported that the Church has not been registered officially in the country since its establishment 100 years ago.

The Kitika area is venerated as the permanent residence of Watch Tower Church's spiritual leader popularly known as the "Holly Father", the "Pope" whose followers have stretched as far as neighbouring Zambia.

The investigations show that the Church -- established by one, Enock Sindani, its first 'Pope', has split up into three other churches, each with its own 'Pope'.

Kitika area remains the universal headquarters of the Church. According to the survey, this Church has been led by five 'Popes' -- Enock Sindani, Samwel Mwimanzi, John Chamboko , Edwin Simulunga and one, Sikazwe.

'Pope' Jonas Simulunga (67) admitted that his church has forbidden its more than 4,000 followers to take part in elections. He said church leaders and followers did not register because it was against their religious teachings.

The investigations show that church leaders and their followers are prohibited from joining political parties or to hold any political office.

Simulunga admitted his followers have never taken part in any election since the country attained independence from Britain in 1961.

He also confessed in the 2012 Population Census his followers were counted without being asked questions "because they are not criminals."

The self-appointed 'Pope' -- with a group of 5,000 followers -- claimed that even in neighbouring Zambia Watch Tower Church adherents are not allowed to vote.

His followers, he said, are not allowed to donate blood to patients because "blood is life and it is a sin to give it to another person."