The Archbishop of Harare, Robert Christopher Ndlovu officially launched the new liturgical “Year of Consecrated Life” in a packed Sacred Heart Cathedral in Harare on the 5th of December 2014.

The Year of Consecrated Life was proclaimed by Pope Francis and started on 30 November 2014  and will stretch for 14 months to the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, 2 February 2016, which is the World Day of Consecrated Life.

There is a three pronged focus to the celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life as pointed in the letter written by the Pope to the universal Church:  ”renewal for men and women in consecrated life, thanksgiving among the faithful for the service of sisters, brothers, priests, and nuns and an invitation to young Catholics to consider a religious vocation.”

In his homily at the launch in Harare, Archbishop Ndlovu hailed the work done by the religious and remembered the words of his predecessor and former Hwange Bishop, Ignatius Praetor SMI, who once said, “a diocese without the Religious is like a train without a locomotives.”

He acknowledged the great works done by the religious from the 19th century in this country, when the first 11 Jesuits – five priests and six brothers first arrived in Zimbabwe.

He spoke of one particular missionary, who used to cycle for 230kms to serve Archbishop’s community in the olden days, the same priest who actually baptised his mother. “Sometimes you wonder if those Religious were made by of the same substance that makes you and me today.

“The Year of Consecrated Life offers us an opportunity to honour such heroes and heroines of our local Church and we should also feel challenged and inspired by the zeal they had in making Christ present in the communities through preaching the word and by the example of their lives as Religious”, said the Archbishop.

He encouraged the Religious congregations – 42 of them in Zimbabwe today – to re-look at their recruitment and formation programmes, saying mistakes in these processes create time bombs not only for the Religious congregation that wrongly recruited, but for the whole Church.

“I believe that every Religious congregation should seriously examine its recruitment policy and formation programme during this year with the view to ensure that it prepares itself to meet both the challenges of the present and the future.

“Most problems in the Church today come from accepting men who are unsuitable for Priesthood. There is a temptation to take a candidate without proper discernment…the scramble for vocations among the religious orders has come to resemble a fishing competition. It is at times without discernment.”

“We have to be careful because when we get ourselves unsuitable people, they are simply ticking time bombs. They are an accident waiting to happen, and unfortunately the damage will injure the whole Church, the whole body of Christ.”

Archbishop Ndlovu also shared on modern threats to religious vows of obedience, poverty and chastity, saying contrary to media reports on the rise in sex scandals in the Church, the most difficult vow to keep now for most consecrated people is the vow of obedience. He said, people are misunderstanding the concept of freedom in their religious life, extending it to choosing which of the three vows to keep. The second most abused vow is the vow of poverty, and he said it is common to see religious people with private bank accounts and owning property.

In his concluding remarks, the Archbishop praised the work of the Religious men and women in the Zimbabwean schools, hospitals, child care homes and parishes and said that work must be further consolidated in the Year of Consecrated Life.

Acting Secretary for Conference of Major Religious Congregations in Zimbabwe, Fr Brian Enright SJ, said there are a number of events and programmes lined up for the year, aiming at bringing unity of purpose among the Religious Congregations, and with the diocesean clergy.

BancEASY director Desmund Ali has lauded the Christian Soccer League saying the abundance of talent in the social leagues could make a mockery of football standards in the top flight league.

Ali, who heads BancEasy, a subsidiary of BancABC, made the remarks during the Christian Soccer League tournament at Belgravia Sports Club on Saturday.

The tournament saw Harare Evangelical Church beat Faith Ministries Mbare 9-8 in a hotly-contested penalty shoot-out after the match ended goalless.

“I don’t think you can see some of the penalties taken today even in the Premiership,” said Ali, who also owns Division Two side Ali Sundowns.

“It was brilliant. Sadly we can only have won winner. But the level competition here was really impressive.”

Eight teams drawn from various sects of the Christian community battled for honours at the tournament that was backed by BancABC.

The tournament came after the Christian Soccer League which ended a fortnight ago in which Faith Ministries Mbare won the title after amassing 56 points from 23 games.

Faith Ministries were in a class of their own, winning 17 games, drawing five and losing just once.

Mount Hope finished second with 53 points whilst Heartfelt International closed in third place a further point adrift.

Some of the churches that took part in the league include New Life Covenant Church, Word of Life International Ministry, Harare Evangelical church, Zaoga, Faith Ministries, Flames Church amongst others.

League chairman Tichawanda Chihwayi said the league was looking to attract more teams from areas beyond Harare.

“At the moment all the teams taking part are from Harare but our plans are to go outside Harare,” he said.

“We started this imitative as way to fellowship. It is also a good platform for talent to be identified. That is why we have invited former footballers. So far the league has no sponsors but we want to thank BancABC for coming on board for this tournament.”

Jesuit Superior General, Fr Nicholas Adolf SJ has signed a degree that unites the Jesuit Province of Zimbabwe and the Region of Mozambique into a single apostolic unit, the Zimbabwe-Mozambique Province.

The coming together of the two was with immediate effect. The people of Zimbabwe and Mozambique share close cultural and liberation ties, with many Mozambicans migrating into the country during the time of conflict and economic instability in the 90’s.

There are over 4 million Catholics in Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony and the country is divided into 12 dioceses, including 3 archdioceses. There are a total of 66 Jesuits from Mozambique who are joining 117 of the formerly Jesuit Province of Province.

Explaining the alterations of the boarders and the creation of the Zimbabwe-Mozambique Province, the Provincial, Fr Chiedza Chimhanda, SJ, said, ”The decision was done in order for the Society to offer more universal and better apostolic service in Mozambique and Zimbabwe… There was much work in planning, praying and reflecting on the structures of the Society worldwide.”

“Zimbabwe started off as a Mission and became a Province in 1978.Mozambique has been a dependent region of Portugal. What it means in practical terms is that all Jesuits in Zimbabwe and Mozambique fall under one administration.

There are some Jesuits in Mozambique who speak very little English or no English at all, but are fluent in Portuguese. But language will never be our worry. The nature of the Society of Jesuits is that we do not join a Province but we join the universal Society, with different languages. It means we are experiencing closely the universal dimensions of the Society.

From the 7th of December 2014, all our plans now will include Mozambique and the next Province Assembly on 8 and 9 January 2015 will definitely include our brothers from Mozambique.

“The Jesuits in Mozambique are working in 5 rural parishes, 3 urban parishes, some are working at the Catholic University there, others are in Secondary and Primary Schools and there is also orphanage.

They are largely in Maputo, Beira and Tete.Fr Chiedza said “because of colonial ties, we all started off as Dependant Regions of colonial countries, and there is hope that by the end of 2016, there could be a solid Province of Southern Africa, that will include the Zimbabwe-Mozambique province with the Dependent Region of South Africa, who will work closely with the existing Zambia-Malawi Province.

Jesuit Superior General, Fr Nicolas Adolfo has convoked General Council (GC) 36 to facilitate his retirement as the universal leader of the Society of Jesus in 2016. If the General Council accepts his resignation, he will become only the third Superior General of the Jesuits to retire in more than 450 years.

Fr Chiedza Chimhanda SJ, the Provincial of the Zimbabwe-Mozambique province said convoking the GC 36 in itself does not mean Fr Nicolas has retired. “He will ask for permission at the GC to retire, and the Spirit will lead the Society in responding to his request.”

“He wants to resign because of age. He is 78, and feels the job needs someone fairly younger…This is all about a change in understanding leadership, the same understanding we got from Pope Benedict XVI when he resigned.”

The GC 36 will not only be a platform for the resignation and election of a new leader, but “it will be an opportunity to share on the status of the Society globally, find the priority areas and the major themes demanding focus, and discuss on the direction we ought to take. Various individuals and Provinces will submit documents that spell certain themes they want the Society to focus on, these might be on justice, the environment, HIV/ Aids, mining or any other.

Commenting on the leadership of Fr Nicolas, Fr Chimhanda SJ, said in the words of GC 35, “He is a fire that kindles other fires. He saw the Society as a small fire that kindles other fires. And it all dates back to St Ignatius who said ‘go and set the world on fire. That also goes back to Jesus who said to his apostles go and baptise all nations…”

“Fr Nicolas has taught us to be a bit more attentive to professional governance, to review our governance structures, to be effective in ministry, and to also be effective in our various commitments to the various dynamics of life.

“His big theme is on governance and on our way of life as Jesuits. Fr Nicolas is refreshingly sincere in his appraisal of the Jesuits and their works, admitting that some are ‘mediocre” and do not do any work. “If you have a leader who is honest, and understands the Society to those levels, than it means he is connected to reality.”

“He challenged us to a life of sincere poverty and service, saying that Jesuits talk freely about their works than their spiritual lives. Depth for him is important. Unless there is root, there won’t be fruit.

As Fr. General noted is his call for GC 36, he is currently 78 years old and wants to retire.  This is a new and interesting trend in the Church. The Superior General holds office for life, and up until the 20th century, they died in office. That expectation began to shift with Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, who resigned after a stroke. Fr. Nicolás’ predecessor Peter Hans Kolvenbach, SJ retired in 2008 after receiving permission from Pope Benedict XVI. He was the first general to retire in otherwise good health. Many Jesuits and their friends were surprised that the then Pope, Benedict XVI, allowed that to happen, but in hindsight, it’s no surprise Benedict allowed the change, given he did the same thing a few years later, by resigning as Pope.

The General Congregations (GCs) are important events and they have only been 35 such platforms in the more than 450 years of the Society of Jesus.

Pastor Emmanuel Makandiwa (photo:M. Chibaya).

United Family International Church (UFIC) founder prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa has warned politicians not to interfere in church activities, saying the only reason Zimbabwe has survived economic turmoil was because of the existence of churches.

Makandiwa told congregants at his crossover all night prayer on New Year’s Eve in Chitungwiza that most churches were not violating the country’s rules thus deserved respect from the government.

“What will bring us down as a nation is the day you start fighting the body of Christ, there shall be serious hunger in the nation.

“As a government, if you see a small group of people worshipping and you don’t understand them, best you just leave them… When I talk about the church, I do not refer to UFIC alone, I mean all churches in the country,” Makandiwa said.

Makandiwa was quick to point out that the economy had been aided by the prayers most churches hold every week.

“What has been keeping Zimbabwe alive to date is not the politician but the church, if it was not so, humans will be boiling their own babies for food, the church has been the only reason for our survival,” he said.

The preacher also warned that a “hunger of untold proportions” was going to befall the country if politicians continued disrespecting the church.

“Muri kuti mafa nenzara. Haisati yatanga (the hunger situation will worsen,” the popular preacher said.

The country’s industry is in a deplorable state, with many companies shutting down and many more projected to as the country’s economy deteriorates further.

Official statistics indicate that at least 4 500 companies have closed shop since 2011, sending more than 55 443 employees onto the streets.

Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa was forced to lower the country’s 2014 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth projections from an initial 6,1 percent to 3,1 percent — which latter figure economic analysts said was still too optimistic.

Makandiwa said the church held the key to redeeming Zimbabwe from the tight liquidity conditions and high unemployment rates the country is grappling with.

Chinamasa has also predicted a 3,2 percent GDP growth for 2015, indicating that the limping economy will at best be largely stagnant in the new year.

In his 2015 budget statement, Chinamasa also warned that recurrent expenditure will go up to 92 percent in 2015, the bulk of it going to pay wages of the government’s 235 000 strong workforce.

Makandiwa, who recently scoffed at statements aligning him to any political party in Zimbabwe after his “bloodshed” prophecy, said government-church relations had to be stable for better economic conditions.

Makandiwa also took a swipe at politicians who seek medical attention out of the country, saying it took away the confidence of most Zimbabweans in the country’s health system.

“We have some who leave the country to seek medical attention, we have hospitals in this country, and there are many healing systems here. This defeats the whole purpose in everything,” he said.

The firebrand preacher also said he was not a prosperity bringer to his congregants, but instead sought to bring blessing.

“I am not a prophesy teacher, that is an understatement, I am a blessing teacher and you can only receive prosperity once you have understood the doctrine of blessings.

“Until you begin to think like a king, you remain in the church and not in the kingdom,” he said.

Makandiwa who hurled over the coals, all politicians who harassed churches, also said the only hope for unity in a country consumed by power struggles also lay in the church.

Late last year, Zimbabwe saw a shocker purge within the ruling party, Zanu PF, which saw President Robert Mugabe firing former vice president Joice Mujuru from government together with 15 other ministers whom he publicly accused of plotting to murder him.

Church and government have in the past locked horns with some government officials calling for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority to tax all churches.

See related reading:

Makandiwa dares critics

Attacks on Prophet Makandiwa unjustified

ACTING President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s under fire Kwekwe neighbour Reverend Tititi Moyo has sensationally claimed that he was called by God to Kwekwe to deal with Satanism that was rampant in the mining town.

In full page adverts titled – Right Reverend Prophet I.M.T Moyo: A true prophet of God – published yesterday, Moyo said he was also called by the Holy Spirit to deal with a notorious group known as the Taliban, a shadowy Zanu PF militia, that had been terrorising Kwekwe.

Moyo was responding to a story published by NewsDay last Saturday where farmers besieged Mnangagwa’s Sherwood farm demonstrating against him claiming he was a bad neighbour.

The farmers, who demanded the Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide Revelation leader’s immediate eviction from his A2 farm, claimed that the clergyman was violent and grabbing their properties by setting bouncers on those that would have resisted his land grab.

But Moyo yesterday fired a salvo at both the farmers and the NewsDay, describing them as agents of Satan whose allegations were motivated by malice.

“These are falsehoods meant to denigrate the good image and reputation of the prophet. This is the work of Satan and his agents,” read part of the advert. It was not clear who inserted the commercial.

“He was called by the Holy Spirit that he was supposed to go to Kwekwe because there was Satanism which was being practiced there and there was a notorious group which was terrorising residents which called itself Talibans. He challenged the so called Talibans and it disappeared for good.

“God also instructed prophet Moyo to pray by the flyover which is just outside Kwekwe which had turned into a notorious black spot where fatal accidents and road carnages were always happening because of the influence of the evil.”

The advert was full of “testimonies” from various people whom hesupposedly helped, while also claiming the church had great following from among others government ministers, war veterans and chiefs.

WITH divorce cases and the number of women claiming maintenance on the increase, local traditionalists have blamed the trend on Pentecostal churches, saying pastors were competing on a number of marriages they bless per year.

While 2014 court records were not readily available, 473 divorce summons were issued in 2013, a rise by 48 cases compared to the previous year.

Other cases were handled by Msasa Project while some by the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association among other organisations.

Speaking to Newzimbabwe.com in Harare, traditionalists said the Pentecostal church leaders’ ways of handling marriage runs athwart to those of the traditional ones which value love and families.

“We only hear that our children are getting married and we are just provided with a date but we are side-lined in the process of the courtship and not given the time to teach our children what is expected in their future union,” said Sekuru Thomas Chandaengerwa.

He added: “Pastors and Bishops have taken over the roles of tete’s and sekuru’s who are now considered outsiders yet their knowledge of family values is so important to each every new comer to the family.”

His sentiments were echoed by Amai Angela Matambo who said that in most cases when family elders try to teach marriage values to their children they are told that this is not what “Papa” from my church is saying.

“Every time I try to sit down with my children and teach them traditional values they are quick to dismiss me saying their church teaching does not say so.”
“They even disobey me telling me openly that they have the blessing from the church.”

Other traditionalists said the churches were even marrying immature people who barely after two or three years of union separate forcing the divorcee to go to another church where he or she marries another person.

“Gone are the days when we used to have a white wedding followed by a traditional ceremony at our rural homes so that our ancestors also blessed the couples,” mourned Sekuru Chandaengerwa.

In November last year leader and founder of United Family International Church, Emmanuel Makandiwa, “blessed” a mass wedding of 600 couples and issued them with certificates.

Mass weddings were banned by the registrar general in 2012 calling them treacherous.

A GREAT friend of mine once said, “if you get into a country where people wear shoes on the head, you will have an impossible time convincing them that shoes are for the feet’; this is ten times true of the situation obtaining in Christianity today. It has become a near-impossible task telling modern Christians that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about money and riches. There are born-again Christians who, today, have been made to believe that Christianity is another term for riches.

One of the foremost arguments put forward by proponents of the prosperity gospel is anchored in the belief that Jesus Christ taught more about money than anything else. Most of his parables, they argue, revolved around money and this premise is largely used as justification for teaching money doctrines in the church. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with the church or Christians becoming wealthy, there is total need for people to understand the essence of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Personally, I am a firm believer in the financial independence of Christians. Christians ought not to be dependent or beg from anyone. However, what I find appalling are attempts by prosperity teachers across the world to make riches the central message of the Gospel and going out of their way to twist every verse in the Bible to suit the pursuit of wealth.

Strenuous efforts have been made to paint the picture that poverty is demonic and that riches reflect blessings. This is an ugly lie because the Bible is awash with God’s people who lived in lack yet God extolled them. Remember the poor widow who put in coins where the rich put in thousands. Remember John the Baptist who lived in the wild and ate honey and locusts. Remember the disciples left by Jesus were described as ‘common men of no education.’ The point, though, is not to advocate for poverty but to urge a return to the basic tenets of Christianity.

While it is true that Jesus often spoke about money, there is one thing which prosperity preachers will not tell you; one thing that in itself defeats the justification for teaching wealth doctrines in the church. While it is true that Jesus spoke more about money, prosperity peddlers will not tell you whether Jesus spoke of money in the sense that it was something central to Christianity and worth pursuing for the Christian. An honest look at Jesus Christ’s teachings on money is the polar opposite of what prosperity teachers teach today.

The strongest evidence against the doctrine of possessions is given by Christ in Matthew. Jesus strikes a direct blow on the prosperity gospel when he says, “A man’s life does not consist in his possessions”. This is the polar opposite of the prosperity message where wealth indicates blessedness and poverty wretchedness. Throughout the synoptic Gospels, especially Matthew, Jesus warns his disciples of the love for money, citing that money often becomes an idol and an object of worship. He says:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This was all by way of saying by focusing on wealth human nature will tend to be consumed in wealth and not focus on the true God. Also, When Jesus asked the rich young ruler to give up his riches and follow him, the rich young ruler “went away grieving, because he had many possessions” (Matt 19:22). Afterwards, Jesus told the disciples that “it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom” (Matt 19:23). Further, in the Parable of the Sower, some of the seed is choked out by the “cares of this world” and “deceitfulness of riches” (Matt 13:22). Judas, also, agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matt 27:3-10).

I could go on and on with Christ’s views on money but the point is this: Jesus never taught that his Gospel would be a tool for amassing wealth. My dear friends, money, while being good to make life possible, should not be pivotal to the Gospel such that we have to devote hours teaching about it in the holy temple. The true Gospel has never been and will never be about wealth and material possessions. God is more concerned about the salvation of your soul. God requires obedience more than sacrifice. There is no point teaching a sin-burdened person week-in week-out about money when he is leading a sinful life. There are plenty examples of people in the Bible who walked away from the faith because of the love for money.

Finally, Jesus asks, “What shall it profit a man to get all the wealth and money of this world and yet lose his own soul?”

It is a tale of two cases of accusation- a tale of two ‘witchcrafts’ involving two women in two countries. It is a tale of how gendered witchcraft phenomenon is particularly where the means for redress is inaccessible or nonexistent.

It is a story of how accusation is a sexist device, a weapon of power, a mechanism for the oppression of females who are in weak socio cultural positions.

It is a case of witchcraft accusation in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean politics has been under stress and strain. Max Marwick strain gauge-witchcraft accusation- is manifesting vigorously amidst political manoeuvring in ZANU-PF. Peter Geschiere has noted the pervasiveness of witchcraft insinuations in state politics in Cameroun.

He maintains that people in Cameroun react to the risks and dangers associated with modern political engagement using the idiom of witchcraft. These reactions hamper the project of nation building and development.

Adam Ashforth highlights how witchcraft accusations poses a serious challenge to the realization of human rights and democracy in South Africa. This challenge applies to Zimbabwe too.

Politicians in the country have clearly demonstrated the concerns and dilemmas prophesied by Ashforth. They repealed a colonial law that made it a crime to accuse somebody of witchcraft and introduced a legislation that recognized supernatural powers but required evidence or proof from anybody who claimed to have been harmed through supernatural means.

Politicians in Zimbabwe repealed Witchcraft Suppression Act mainly free personal reasons. They needed a legitimate climate to make accusations. Otherwise how does one explain a recent case where President Mugabe sacked his deputy, Mujuru, accusing her of being a witch and wanting to assassinate him. How did Mugabe know that Mujuru was a witch? Why was the accusation necessary in the first place? What political capital did Mugabe want to achieve by branding Mujuru a witch? Why didn’t Mugabe just dismiss her without invoking the idiom of witchcraft? Why didn’t he accuse her of wanting to assassinate him without linking it to sorcery and magic?

What is very interesting is the way Mujuru replied to Mugabe’s accusation. Mujuru released a public statement dismissing the accusation as ‘ridiculous’ and as part of ‘a well-orchestrated smear campaign’ whose objective was the destruction of Zanu-PF. Case closed. The ex Vice President is now going about her normal business.

Would this be the case if Mujuru was a highly politically placed official?

Now compare Mujuru’s with another case of accusation in Nigeria. A young man said he saw a rat that almost hit his leg while taking his bath. He was about to hit the rat when it turned into a ‘human being’-yes a human being- and then the ‘rat-human being’ disappeared leaving the slippers behind.

He went to town and saw some people surrounding a woman called Mama T. Some parts of the woman’s body were swollen. Mama T was wearing a slippers that looked like the one left behind by the rat that ‘turned into a human being’. Upon inquiry, the woman confessed that she had an accident the previous day and lost one of the slippers. The man rushed back home and brought what they believed was the other leg of the slippers which was the same as the one the woman was holding.

The angry mob descended on the woman and beat her to a stupor. In the course of the beating the woman reportedly confessed other forms of witchcraft she engaged in including using her urine to prepare a local delicacy called moi moi. From the report it is not clear what eventually happened to the woman- whether they beat her to death or there was an intervention from the police. Last year two elderly women who allegedly turned into birds during a witch flight were given severe beating in Lagos. One of them later died in a hospital

What is noteworthy here is that the social status of a woman matters a lot in witchcraft accusation. From the two cases in Zimbabwe and Nigeria, one can safely conclude that a woman’s social position makes a huge difference in terms of how she is treated if accused of practicing harmful magic. Women who are in strong social and economic position like the ex Vice President of Zimbabwe can easily  dismiss witchcraft allegations with a wave of hand, without being physically molested or attacked. But this is not the case with poor illiterate elderly women who have nobody to defend them or who cannot defend themselves.

They are the ‘real witches’. Africans must wake up.

See related reading:

Mujuru quashes “witchcraft” accusations 

ONCE again we heard the now common rhetoric and New Year eve’s ritual where all sorts of prophecies are given in prophetic denominations as we enter each New Year. The focus of my writings is not to seek preoccupation with personalities but to propound the truth as enunciated by the Bible. I would therefore not want to dwell much on personalities but, in this piece, seek to highlight that it is crucial to understand the vast difference between prophecy and prediction.

Indeed, there is a world of difference between prophesying and predicting. Prediction is what we commonly witness every day, even in the occult world. Many will remember Simon the Octopus which predicted France’s World Cup victory with chilling accuracy. Some may know of soothsayers who have the ability to accurately predict future events. Even witchdoctors, as some people may testify, have won the hearts of many by their uncanny ability to predict future events. It therefore follows that accurate prediction is not only the preserve of God but that the practice can also be done by forces of darkness as much as it is done in Christendom. A number of prophecies have been given in the last few years and it is also unavoidable to realize that emerging churches have fought for supremacy in this regard.

Let me put forward a straightforward verse for those who often struggle with how to identify a true prophet. And this is only one of nine ways to identify a true prophet. “And if you say in your heart, how shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass, or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously: You shall not be afraid of him.”(Deuteronomy 18:21-22). The true prophet of the Lord predicts with exactness that which comes to pass. If the prophet’s predictions fail, even in the least, they are exposed as not of God. You may then want to check the prophecies we have received in the last few years against this verse; it is not for anyone to say but the Bible.

Just before year end, Nigeria’s TB Joshua last year ‘prophetically’ claimed that the terrorist group, Boko Haram would be completely dislodged by year end. But and just recently the group seized a town and a key multinational military base in North-eastern Nigeria. Many people were killed and the town was set ablaze. To date, Boko Haram continues to attack towns and villages almost on a daily basis, abducting people including young girls and boys in apparent defiance of the ‘prophecy’. Sometime in 2012, we heard a prophecy from one Ambassador Ishmael who allegedly told his congregation to pray for Mtukudzi’s health because, “I see it failing.” Needless to say, the musician was not amused and two years on, he is holding musical shows around the world.

Countless times we have heard ‘prophecies’ to the effect that President Mugabe will die, with dates being given at times, but the opposite truth stands clear for all to see. In similar fashion, a Malawian ‘prophet’ has yet again made the same ‘prophecy’ and one wonders which God always specializes in revealing the death of one leader. Mugabe himself has constantly joked that he ‘has died and resurrected several times’ much to the chagrin of these ‘prophecies’.

Again, since 2011, we have heard; time without number the ‘prophecy’ of economic boom which, probably, happens in some Zimbabwe we do not know. We were told at the end of 2013 that there would be a massive economic boom in 2014 and that shops would operate for twenty four hours. We have been told that all our troubles would end sometime in April last year but, yet again, the sobering truth is that the country is battling to revive its economic fortunes.

Recently, a ‘prophecy’ made headlines that a huge building is set to collapse in Harare’s First Street. Now, I do not seek to ignite the debate on whether this or that is true but as I wrap up, it should be understood that God’s wish for his people living in this age is for the world to prepare for The Second Coming of Christ (Rev 1: 7) rather than focus on an activity (prediction) which n’angas and spiritists also do well. This whole prophetic business is in itself a source of confusion destructing Christians from focusing on the real substance of the Gospel which is salvation of mankind.  This is the last hour.

Mathias Mhere stole the thunder at the fifth edition of the Open Heavens Gospel Crusade held at Harare Gardens on Saturday (photo: M Chibaya).

Rising gospel musician Mathias Mhere will begin a month-long maiden tour of the United States of America (USA) on February 16.

Mhere, who ventured into gospel music in 2005, has lined up a series of concerts in and around the American city of Dallas.

The Favour hitmaker is optimistic that his first tour of the USA will take his music career to a higher level.

“I was supposed to travel to USA in 2013 but I failed due to a personal issue which I have since sorted out. Right now, everything is now in place for the trip,” Mhere told the Daily News.

“I have done all the necessary preparations and I hope the tour of the USA will help in marketing and promoting my music across the oceans.”

The USA tour comes on the back of numerous trips by the Gutu-born musician to countries such as South Africa, Mozambique and the United Kingdom.

Mhere has been one of Zimbabwe’s foremost gospel artistes since the 2012 release of his second album Anoita Minana. The album, which was produced by Lyton Ngolomi at Lyt-On Studios, was propelled to dizzy heights mainly by the popular hit Favour.

The gospel artiste’s rise to stardom was, however, marred by controversy. It was initially mistakenly attributed to Mutare-based gospel star Blessing Shumba who incidentally was also using Ngolomi as his producer at the time.

Despite the controversy and confusion that dogged Anoita Minana, the album won Mhere a bigger following.

“Anoita Minana really worked miracles for me and it unlocked all the doors of opportunity in my life, making me an instant celebrity and significantly changing my standard of living for the better,” he told the Daily News at the launch of the album.

Emboldened by the phenomenal success of Anoita Minana, Mhere dropped the album Nguva Yenyasha last year. Packed with hits such as Ziya Rangu, Idya Tafura, Zino Irema, Number Busy, Mhandu Yedu, Peter Peter, Pamazuva Angu and Mutsvene Mutsvene, the album, which was also produced by Ngolomi, further enhanced the rising artiste’s status as a serious talent.

Mhere, whose debut offering called Tinoda Nyasha was released in 2007, is working on a new project which he says could hit the market in March this year. It is expected to feature music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi on a track called Tsano Handeyi.

Interestingly, despite the success of Anoita Minana and Nguva Yenyasha both produced by Ngolomi, Mhere has decided to entrust the forthcoming album in the hands of rookie producer Charles Aibeki, a former guitarist in gospel star Charles Charamba’s Fishers of Men.

While millions of people in the developed world turned on the style and spent billions of dollars entertaining themselves on New Year’s Eve, thousands of poor and desperate Zimbabweans decided to turn to God.

With the chaos in the ruling Zanu PF likely to escalate this year and no hope of economic revival, Zimbabweans are pinning their hopes of a better future in God.

“It’s better to put your trust in the Lord than in these politicians,” said 32-year-old Tafara Mudonhi, an economics graduate who has failed to land a proper job for the past six years.

Mudonhi joined thousands of other unemployed people who thronged Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s Crossover Night in Chitungwiza to seek divine intervention for the country’s seemingly unending economic woes.

Zimbabwe’s already escalating unemployment rate, estimated at more than 85 percent, increased in the past year when hundreds of companies shut down.

The country’s economic crisis has deepened since long-time President Robert Mugabe, who will turn 91 next month, won re-election in a controversial plebiscite in July 2013.

Factories in the once bustling industrial zones in the main cities have crumbled unabated. Job seekers — mainly university graduates —on foot in the scorching heat are turned away. Railroad tracks once used by trains to ferry raw materials and supplies are now overgrown with weeds and are in advanced stages of decomposition.

With rains becoming sporadic in the last decade, most rural people are drifting into Harare to search for opportunities to make money but many end up selling vegetables, trinkets and mobile phone rechardge cards on the streets to make ends meet.

Statistics from the World Bank showed that 46 percent of Zimbabwe’s 13 million people now survive by running such informal businesses.

Preaching from the book of Psalm 62 verse 11, Makandiwa told the congregation to get ready for God’s power in 2015 that will bring abundant peace, order and increase in their lives.

Across town Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) leader Prophet Walter Magaya told thousands of congregates who braved the chilly weather that new minerals will be discovered in Zimbabwe this year.

“There shall be wonders in Mozambique. There shall be wonders in Zimbabwe. Barrenness is going forever. We are about to be fruitful. We are about to multiply,” said Magaya.

The situation was the same in most cities and towns across the country as various churches gathered to praise God and seek spiritual guidance in the New Year.

Political commentator Reason Wafawarova, however, urged Zimbabweans to put their focus on the Creator and not on miracles and get-rich-quickly schemes promised by the new breed of charismatic preachers.

“Essentially, prosperity gospel offers us an easily manipulated God. It places God on our side, not us on His side, and it eliminates his sanctity and his sovereignty. It gives us this vain God who can easily be manipulated through offerings and eloquent words of faith,” he said

Wafawarova noted that prosperity gospel derives its strength from greed and guilt.

“There is this cycle of greed and guilt, where the longer it takes for promises to come, the more one feels guilty of lacking in faith, or of not being good enough a giver in church,” he said adding that the greed for material returns coupled with this guilt would create an addiction that leads to cultic fanaticism.

“Naturally, the message of prosperity appeals to the flesh, and it capitalises on the natural desires for health and wealth.

“The message promises the desires of our sinful hearts, and no more do we find the call to repent from sin, no more do we find the call to deny oneself, no more do we find the call to pick up one’s cross, no more do we find the call to follow Jesus, and no more do we hear of the call to die for Christ,” added Wafawarova.

GOSPEL musician Tatenda Mahachi is mooting the introduction of Zimbabwean Gospel Awards.

The artiste said he is currently in the initial stages of engaging partners for the awards.

Mahachi told NewsDay that he was inspired by his experience at the seventh edition of the SABC Crown Gospel Awards held in Durban in November last year.

Mahachi was invited for the awards that he says gave him a different picture of the way artistes should handle their issues.

“I am still talking to some people to see if we can launch the awards this year. There are partners that I have engaged, but cannot name as of now in as much as the awards are concerned, but they definitely must happen this year,” Mahachi said.

“If you look at Zimbabwe we have never had gospel music awards and it is something we desperately need to introduce and take gospel music to another level. Of late a lot of gospel artistes havecome on board which is good to the music fraternity and we are saying it is time to appreciate their efforts and encourage them to be even better.

“l am currently talking to other stakeholders and calling upon the cooperate world to support this noble cause.”

Mahachi said he is largely inspired by what he saw in South Africa in November.

“After attending the SABC Crown Gospel Awards I feel so challenged and believe the experience l got should be felt by everyone and take our music to another level,” he said.

“l am calling for support from every artiste and everyone at large. We need the awards to be of top class and to be an unforgettable experience. God is taking us further and there is no better time for us to do this other than now.”

He said they will be announcing the dates and procedures of the awards in due course.

He said Zimbabweans should expect an awards ceremony that takes into cognisance the trends in the region and the world beyond.

According to Mahachi, 2015 is set to be a big year as he is due to release his new album as well as introduce a mega gospel show of Nguva Yakwana magnitude.

“Also in the pipeline is a mega gospel show which will see all Zimbabwean gospel gurus coming up together for a huge concert,” he said.

“Other plans include the release of my fourth album titled Rega Kumhanya which consists of eight tracks including two collaborations that I have done with South African gospel guru Sfiso Ncwane.”

Mahachi recorded two tracks with Ncwane namely Agare and Ndisiye Satani that will feature on the album to be released on March 27.

“We are working on plans to have Ncwane attending the launch that will also serve as the launch of my DVD Agare.

Gospel music couple Olinda Marowa and husband-cum-manager Michael Ziwenga are optimistic their newly found church will bear fruits.

This was revealed in their DVD “Moment in Miracles” which was released on the day they launched their new church “Grace Life Covenant”.

The DVD, which would be distributed for free from today, had evidence of their many miracles, prophecies and deliverances they had carried out so far.

“There are people with testimonies. They have medical proof of their healing from HIV, heart problems, fibroids, bareness and a lot more but like I mentioned earlier the focus is on love and the word of God,” he said

The couple is not carrying “prophet and prophetess” titles opting for Major Pastor Michael and Pastor Olinda.

They have dumped Ubert Angel’s Spirit Embassy Church to form their own.

The couple that was instrumental in opening Spirit Embassy branches outside Harare and once worked closely with the flamboyant prophet at the church’s Chisipite headquarters have opened “Grace Life Covenant”, a new denomination with different spiritual beliefs.

“GLC focuses on the word and love (of God). A shepherd serves the sheep and not the sheep serving the servant,” said Ziwenga.

He said the couple left Spirit Embassy amicably on December 21.

“We needed to grow outside the box. Besides I was meant to start my own (church) and everyone knew it. This is the will of God,” he said.

The youthful pastors also said they had no partners or “spiritual parents” leading them but God.

“I only have one father who is in heaven,” he said.

Songstress Olinda on the other hand is said to be using her musical gift in strengthening the church.

“My wife plays a crucial role in the church’s musical department and vocal training besides blessing us with her own compositions.

She is amazing, sometimes you need worship (songs) top take you somewhere before you begin to preach. God uses her,” said Ziwenga.

Asked if they planned on “taking over” the Magaya-style, Ziwenga said it was about winning souls.

“Heaven full hell empty! We might be young physically but not spiritually. Alone we can’t make it but with Jesus we can. We have pulled through before during the time we opened several branches from the previous church,” he said.

The government has warned churches against deceiving people taking HIV drugs that they can cure the disease if they follow them.

The warning comes awake of  the sprouting  of churches lead by ‘prophets’ who are using some free to air Television channels preaching that they can heal HIV.

The TV channels broadcast people bearing testimonies that they had been healed by the said churches.

These churches s associate the deadly disease with bad spirits which they claim that they can exorcise.

As a result desperate people flock these churches lose out on their hard earned cash on ‘healing prayer’ conducted on them by the so called prophets.

President Robert Mugabe recently blasted these churches and described their leaders as ‘fly by night prophets’.

Head of HIV and TB unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Owen Mugurungi said there is not  cure for AIDS.

“I hope that churches do not get an excuse to say, yes, because people are on treatment and have achieved maximum viral suppression they are cured, no. There is no cure for HIV as   yet. We know we can reduce viral load to undetectable or zero viral circulating in your body but that does not necessarily mean that the virus is gone. The virus will go and hide in the lymph nodes (Mwambabvu) where there is no blood circulation .It will go there and rest there and can rest in the brain and at every opportunity it will come out,” Dr Mugurungi explained.

“It does not necessarily mean that when it is raining when you look at the streets of Harare you say there are no people. People are indoors and they are waiting for the rains to stop and they come out and start walking .That is exactly what happens with HIV”.

Dr Mugurungi said the church should pray for the sick and encourages them to adhere to their treatment as opposed to discouraging them from taking their medication.

“The good thing is that when the virus is hiding  you do not infect anybody .So you will not crush or kill anybody in the street when it is raining and there are people walking, but when they are people you will have accidents .So that is the analogy I can use. I hope churches are not using this because this suppression requires you to take your medicines every day”, he said.

Defaulting in taking ARVs according to Dr Mugurungi is one of the major causes of death among the people living with HIV.

CONVICTED rapist and former RMG Independent End Time Message frontman Robert Martin Gumbura has been dumped by his lawyers for as yet unknown reasons.

The move by the lawyers forced the High Court to postpone a planned appeal against both conviction and sentence by the disgraced cleric.

Gumbura has, since his arrest early last year, been represented by advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba and Rekayi Maposa.

The two attorneys reportedly bailed, leaving Tapson Dzvetero to stand in for the ex-clergyman.

High Court Judges, Felistas Chatukuta and David Mungota ordered Dzvetero to file assumption of urgency and called on Magwaliba to file an application for renouncement of urgency before end of day Monday.

In his notice of appeal, Gumbura who was convicted of raping his congregants and jailed for 40 years, argued that the magistrate had erred and misdirected himself in finding him guilty as well as committing him to prison.

Instead, he is praying that the High Court quashes both conviction and sentence on the basis that the state witnesses’ testimonies were not credible.

“It is clear that the magistrate’s finding that the complainants were credible is plainly wrong,” he argues.

“The honourable magistrate simply took lock-stock and barrel the narrative of the complainants, discarding the explanation given by the appellant and the probabilities.”

Gumbura argued that the trial magistrate should have acquitted him but failed to critically examine each sexual abuse allegation and the merits thereof.

“The trial magistrate negated his duties, nor did he evaluate evidence of the witnesses to come up with an appropriate decision, hence acquittal was the competent verdict under the circumstances,” read part of the appeal.

“In this regard, the magistrate was regrettably swayed by non-legal considerations and passed a moral judgment.

“Most fundamentally, the honourable court was obligated to critically examine each allegation of sex in the surrounding circumstances.

“It was further enjoined to consider whether the delay in reporting the sexual offences was not a factor indicative of the consensual nature of the sex.”

However, Editor Mavuto of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is arguing that the 40 year sentence handed by the Harare magistrate was appropriate as there was overwhelming evidence.

Prophet Walter Magaya (photo: B Kanamhora)

PROPHETIC Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries is never short of surprises.

While matters of belief are deeply personal and are best left alone, the Magaya ship of conversion has somewhat chugged onto the entertainment scene attempting to convert artistes with mixed success.

They have not stopped there as they have even gone further to engage some secular musicians to perform at their services.

Just when the ministry was beginning to grow, it got associated with raunchy dancer Beverly Sibanda whose relationship with the church ended when she trekked back to the pub.

Other musicians like Nicholas Zakaria and Allan Chimbetu have also found sanctuary at the church.

Tocky Vibes has also found his way into the church and now Sulumani Chimbetu will be performing at the church’s Sunday service.

Apparently, this could be confirming Sulu’s affection for the prophetic ministry as one of his songs Musandisiye on his latest album Gunship appears to suggest he has for long had such plans.

Part of the track Musandisiye goes like “Mukoma ndapota musandisiye pamunoronga ronga, Amai Charamba musandikanganwe pamunoenda kukereke, Prophet Magaya musandikoshiwe pamunotaura paye.”

So Dendera Sunday it is at the gigantic blue church in Waterfalls.

Sulu’s publicist Joe Nyamungoma said there was nothing wrong with them performing at a PHD service.

“People must understand that musicians also have spiritual life and they do go to church and on Sunday will be fellowshipping at PHD,” Nyamungoma said.

“Secular artistes can also inspire goodness.

“Those who are going to come for the service will testify that there is nothing wrong in having a secular musician performing at a church service.”

Nyamungoma said they would substitute most of the lyrics to suit the church set-up.

A 25-YEAR-OLD self-styled Chiredzi prophet who raped a heavily pregnant woman on the pretext of removing objects in her privates will spend the next 15 years in jail.

Thomas Muzira raped the woman after he lied that she had objects in her vagina that could kill the baby or her during delivery.

The self-styled prophet escaped to South Africa after committing the crime in 2010 and was arrested in December last year when he returned home.

He pleaded not guilty to rape when he appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Judith Zuyu, arguing he was in love with the woman, but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.

Muzira was initially sentenced to 18 years in jail, but three years were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Prosecuting, Mukai Mutumhe said on 15 December 2010, the woman in the company of her husband and other relatives visited Muzira’s shrine for consultations and was told she would die during delivery if not treated by the prophet.

The court heard that, two days later, the woman returned to Muzira’s shrine and found him alone. She was taken in a room and ordered to lie facing upwards.

Muzira then inserted his fingers into his victim’s privates as part of the “healing” session and removed some objects after which he told the woman that there were still some bigger
objects inside.

He then ordered her to stand up and lean forward while holding a stool with both hands so that he could detect and remove bigger objects inserted by her enemies.

The court heard that when the woman felt that Muzira had inserted his penis, she tried to get off his grip but he held her tightly until he finished raping her.

After the incident, the woman went home and informed her husband after which a formal report was made to Triangle police.

Muzira fled to neighbouring South Africa where he stayed for nearly five years but was arrested on his return in December last year, following a tip off

THE Jesuit Province of Zimbabwe (JPZ) is planning a mixed residential project 25 kilometers northeast of Harare over 5,670 hectares estimated to cost up to $96 million, an official has said.

Expansion of Harare has long been on the cards with city council acquiring 12 farms on the outskirts of the city in 2012, increasing its land area by up to two thirds.

Jesuits are a religious order within the Catholic Church and the project will be in an area of which previously fell under Goromonzi Rural District Council.

JPZ development director Nigel Johnson told The Source at the weekend that the project, called Chishawasha Valley, was expected to commence in the second quarter of the year.

“We are expecting to get approval from the department of physical planning by March then from there we will have to get clearance from the Environmental Management Agency which we do not think will take time because a lot of work on the environmental impact assessment has been done,” he said.

Johnson said development of the project would be done in phases.

“Once we get the approvals work would be done in phases for financial reasons because the project is huge. We are most likely to start on the Mabvuku-end with the 300 square metre stands which have a ready market.”

Jesuits in Zimbabwe own and run schools such as St. Georges College, St. Ignatius and St. Peter’s Kubatana, as well as 18 mission schools in the Harare and Chinhoyi dioceses.

Gweru pastors  have called upon national leaders to desist from using hate speech when addressing the nation as it will breed a culture of disrespect.
Speaking to RelZim ,Transformations Foundations founder, Pastor Augustine Deke said national leaders should uphold national values and mind their language when addressing crowds.

“Our national leaders should uphold our values as Africans because our children learn from them,” Deke said with reference to the recent onslaught on national leader purported to be plotting an uprising on president Robert Mugabe.

Deke said public attacks on high profile politicians is inculcating a culture of disrespect amongst the youths which is unAfrican and politicians should use wisdom when tackling issues of national importance.

Last year, First Lady ,Grace Mugabe led an onslaught on former vice president Joice Mujuru where she used derogatory language which does not befit a person of her stature.

“The current trend of youths speaking  bad about the elderly from a church point of view.  It does not sound well. When our children look at them, they are looking at role models, but we are creating a violent society because of derogatory language used on political platforms,” Deke who is also a former journalist said.

Deke added that the social fabric should be kept intact bearing the future in mind.

“We want to maintain our social fabric intact. I cannot trust my children to watch ZTV alone. We have been talking to other pastors and they think politicians should not hang their linen in public,” said Deke.

Deke said politicians should also desist from washing dirty linen in public as this erodes traditional respect that Zimbabweans have for elders as this will bring a curse upon the nation.

“We are bringing a curse upon our nation by disrespecting elders. The President should be respected as an old man and his party needs wisdom in working out the succession plan.”
“We are creating a vicious cycle of curses if we fail to observe the elderly and from the church we are saying let’s show respect.”

Another Pastor Trinose Makotose, Family Life International said since Zimbabwe is a Christian nation, bad language on political platforms is highly unacceptable.

“Zimbabwe was declared a Christian nation and our founding principles always acknowledges God as the supreme being, so why do we act like pagans,” Makotose asked.

“Our political leaders have failed to uphold this status. Because our radios are filled with hate speech which brews strife in the nation,” he added.

The Pastors encouraged political leaders to use respectful and godly language even though they differ in opinions.

Zimbabwe has over the past months witnessed a change in the political landscape especially in Zanu PF where there has been a lot of infighting and squabbling.

“We pray that peace continue to prevail in our nation because Zimbabweans are a peace loving people,” Deke said.