A look at evangelist Makandiwa’s ‘power’

By Thelma Chikwanha and Chris Goko

HARARE – He is not only set to “light up” the National Sports Stadium on Friday April 6, with his “judgment day vigil”, but Emmanuel Makandiwa has “real power”.

The United Family International Church (UFIC) founder is due to rouse Harare with his 61-piece Italian-made public (PA) system and has also acquired a 500 KVa back-up generator for the religious meeting.

A young and charismatic preacher, Makandiwa’s stock is indeed rising — what with recent reports that he is even launching a monthly magazine called The Family. Such is the “prosperity gospel” man’s power and rise to super-stardom — a forte only dominated by the likes of Kingsway International Christian Centre’s Matthew Ashimolowo and the Tom Deuschle’s of this world.

But to illustrate the 34-year-old pastor’s pulling power and resources, the 500KVa generator can fire up a mini factory and consumes up to 90 litres of diesel per hour. These kind of “monsters” are not only sourced in Europe, but cost quite a significant amount of money as well as expertise to install them.

According to a local Perkins agent, a unit of this kind costs up to $100 000, while competing brands such as Spain’s Gesan — supplied by Albert Nhau’s Mike Appel Organisation Limited (MAOL) — cost slightly more.

While Perkins is a British brand supplied by a unit of listed Tractive Power Holdings, MAOL is the only other supplier of these huge generators — used in mines and good enough to hoist elevators up the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe pillar.

And in a country where people rely on diesel generators to power their homes, and businesses, Makandiwa’s means are sharply illustrated and contrasted with the fact that an ordinary stove is fired by a 5KVa.

With the “man of God” reportedly flying in sound engineers and other technicians from abroad, this is the kind of “electric shock” Makandiwa will be dishing out at the all-night prayer and subsequent meetings or engagements with his vaunted 50 000 followers.

According to recent media reports, the massive Radio Cine Forniture PA equipment required two 30-ton trucks to courier the mind-blowing system, which company executives said was a rare order from a quantity and specification point of view.

As the Mashonaland Central-born preacher’s appeal continues to grow, so has been his blessings and pulling power that he was seen driving around in a Lexus 570 sports utility vehicle. Daily News