By Itai Mushekwe
HARARE – Flamboyant preacher, Prophet Uebert Angel Mudzanire, may be living on borrowed time, amid revelations that Zanu PF businessman, Philip Chiyangwa, is the bankrolling baron behind his Spirit Embassy church in Harare.
Sources close to Chiyangwa allege the controversial multi-millionaire lured Mudzanire from the United Kingdom, where according to the prophet he was “a penniless preacher,” to try and spruce up his waning business fortunes.
It would appear the relationship is a win-win blossom, as Mudzanire in a few years back home, has become a rags to riches “Man of God” when in the UK he struggled to put food on the table, prompting him to turn to Chiyangwa for help.
“Mudzanire’s true calling is in the UK,” a Zimbabwean minister based in Germany, who says The Lord is preparing him for an End-Time move has said.
“It is not easy to answer God’s calling, because of the challenges and hardships one will face. They are many people, who have left their native lands, jobs and even family behind in pursuit of The Lord’s work.
“I believe Angel has a true calling, but he was not patient on The Lord while in Britain, so he chose an easy way out.
“He now finds himself in a difficult situation to do the right thing, because fame and most of all money, alongside material possessions have corrupted him. It is never too late, to repent. Better to please God, than to appease man,” he said.
Angel himself has paid tribute to Chiyangwa, who recently celebrated his 54th birthday at his church in February.
“Today, we have Dr Chiyangwa, he has chosen to celebrate his birthday with us, my wife and I have known him from when we were still in the United Kingdom and he has played a crucial role for our return to Zimbabwe,” Angel said.
Trading Holy Lamb’s blood
Critics have further gone to accuse Angel and his prosperity gospel ally, Emmanuel Makandiwa of United Family International Church (UFIC) of doing business using the holy blood of Jesus Christ.
The trio have been holding birthday bashes at their churches, where personal clothing items of Angel, such as t-shirts, socks and ties have been auctioned for thousands of dollars to the highest bidder.
The school of thought is that if followers buy, The Man of God’s clothes, immediately they are anointed with part of his powers.
“Sometime last week, I had to sneak into the man of God’s bedroom and ‘stole’ some of his most treasured items while he was away at his office and up to now he did not know where the stuff was.
“I know my brother and his taste for style and classy things, but tonight, some of you will go home as proud owners of some of that stuff. If, for instance, you buy this pair of socks, you will be blessed with the anointing of speed and overtaking,” said Makandiwa last year at his friend’s banquet.
Apart from birthday parties, Angel and Makandiwa who mysteriously share the same “spiritual father”, one Prophet Boateng of Ghana, have been holding male only galas, giving counselling on marriage and prospering husbands.
Media in Ghana, has been awash with reports of one fetish priest, Nana Kwaku Bonsam, who claims to have provided supernatural powers to close to 2000 desperate pastors in Africa, wanting to entice their followers.
Nana Kwaku Bonsam, has got a shrine at Sa-Peiman village, on the outskirts of Nsawam in the Eastern Region of Ghana, and has openly mentioned Zimbabwe as one such nation were pastors have received “juju” for their ministries without providing names. Nana Kwaku Bonsam’s god is called ‘Kofi-Kofi’.
Mugabe’s distaste
Even President Robert Mugabe, last November came out with his guns blazing against dubious prophets in the country.
In what many interpreted as an apparent reference to Angel and his wife Beverly, who are both prophet and prophetess respectively, Mugabe said the Bible does not teach us about such things, while addressing mourners at the burial of Grace Mugabe’s aunt in Chikomba.
“Kungadai kuripo nevamwe vatingati zvechokwadi Mwari angadai akavapa simba rekuona zvemberi asi vashoma vakadaro, kana muchechi vashoma vanogona kuona zvemberi. Kuva maporofita
Translated: (There are few people among us whom God has blessed with the gift, of seeing into the future, as a prophet),” Mugabe said.
“Also in some churches you hear that a husband and his wife are prophet and prophetess. Ah, zvino ndozvazvinoitwa here vakomana? Bhaibheri ndozvaraiita? (Is this how it’s done? Is that what the Holy Bible tells us?)
Sengwayo example
A number of church leaders in Zimbabwe, have told Nehanda Radio in the past week that it was imperative for people to follow the gospel of righteousness, better known as vhangeri in shona, calling for followers to take a leaf from the teachings of the late Reverend Morgan Sengwayo, the founder of The Apostolic Faith Mission in Southern Africa in 1955-1981 among others.
“Sengwayo has a painful history,” another Pastor in Harare said.
“When he was called into the ministry, be barely owned anything. He failed to make ends meet, yet he never gave up on his calling and was obedient to The Lord.
“In matters of money, Sengwayo’s church followed a plan given by Christ himself, no solicitations were made for church funds, nor are any collections taken during services. Indeed the Apostolic Faith Church has been referred to as ‘a church without a collection plate’.”
“Our Church is Trinitarian and fundamental, we believe in a born again spiritual experience,” said Reverend Sengwayo in a rare journal of his ministry.
“Our teaching embraces the original teaching of holiness through sanctification and stresses the need of endowment with Power from on high for service: the Baptism with the Holy Ghost as on the day of Pentecost.”
The Apostolic Faith Mission built a magnificent church at Pelandaba, at a total cost of about $52 000 during that time. The money did not come from overseas, but from the Christian family itself without being coerced.
Church Sponsor
Now Angel, who literally has no church since Spirit Embassy only rents the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), claims to be sponsoring the church with his personal wealth accrued from so called blessings from God.
“God does not need a human being to help Him because He is no respecter of human beings”, other church leaders have observed.
Ironically Spirit Embassy has no church building of its own, but is housed in upmarket offices for administration purposes in the capital.
“We have been calling the media to come to church, especially my church, to count the offering” the controversial prophet has told the local media.
“You count the tithe yourself, we give you the expenses, then you go and pay, we put people to go with you. Then after that you will realise that there is no money to steal because we are the ones who are sponsoring the church.
“We don’t steal, it’s not the way we get money. We are blessed of God, we don’t dip our hands into offerings, what offering? $1? The question should be how do you get your money rather than taking money from the people?”
Lying miracles
Miracles of all sorts have been another trademark of Mudzanire, who boasts of miracle money, miracle fuel, miracle baby sex change and the list goes on.
As a Major Prophet, critics say he has failed to give any major prophecy on Zimbabwe, Africa let alone the world. Angel’s dubious prophecies, are centred on telling followers their addresses, past activities and car number plates.
“All these are lies and the hallmark of The Man of Lawlessness,” said another Zimbabwean preacher in Birmingham, UK quoting 2 Thessalonians 2: 7-9 as thus:
“7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,”
Cars
It has also come to light that Mudzanire’s fleet of luxury cars are mostly purchased for him by Chiyangwa, who already owns a luxurious car hire service called Glory Car Hire, with interests in travel and VIP tours.
It was not immediately ascertained, whether the prophet himself pays in cash or in fact does marketing and advertising of Chiyangwa’s car products, by driving them and doling some to friends, relatives and church followers.
Only last week Mudzanire “surprised” a church follower with a new Range Rover Sport car donation worth over US$100 000. The prophet owns a US$1 million Lamborghini sports car, a Bentley which was donated to him by Chiyangwa, and an assortment of Mercedes Benz cars.
“The end is nigh for Angel,” warned the Germany based upcoming minister, who claims to be waiting on The Lord’s time to launch him for His End-Time workmanship.
“We speak under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, thus let no one be tempted to rebuke The Lord’s warning and revelation. Angel is a dead man walking, unless he repents right away.
Tell you what, evil persists because good men do nothing. Today I’m prepared to be laughed at and dismissed, but tomorrow they shall all say, but we were foretold.”
