Zim Methodist cleric in UK adultery scandal
LONDON – Rev Tsaurai Kudakwashe Mapfeka, a pastor with the United Methodist Church UK, is at the centre of an embarrassing adultery storm after a furious worshiper, in full view of the congregation, openly accused him of having an affair with his wife.
Church documents seen by Nehanda Radio detail the drama that took place on the 4th of January when jilted husband Maxwell Chirewa grabbed the microphone during the thanksgiving announcements and angrily narrated how Rev Mapfeka was having an affair with his wife, Linda Chirewa.
The drama took place at the rented St Peters Church in Vauxhall, London and played out right in front of the pastor’s wife and kids. Attempts by church elders to cool Chirewa down were in vain as he proceeded to produce evidence of the affair. Addressing the fully packed church Chirewa said;
“Mufundisi Mapfeka vanodanana nemudzimai wangu. Vakatora mukadzi wangu kuenda naye kuGermany. Mukadzi wangu akati kwandiri ari kuenda kumusha kuZimbabwe izvo ari kuenda kuGermany naMufundisi Mapfeka. Vanhu vaMwari ndiine evidence pano matext nemapicture avaitorana ikoko.”
Translation – “Reverend Mapfeka is having an affair with my wife. He took her to Germany. My wife told me she was going to Zimbabwe and yet she went to Germany with Rev Mapfeka. People of God I have the evidence with me including text messages and pictures they took while in Germany.”
In one of the messages, allegedly between the lovebirds, Linda writes “Am thinking pane varikunakiranawo sesu so lolest (Just wondering if there are any out there who are enjoying each other just as we do ” to which the cleric replied “ukanzwa vamwe undiudzewo (If you hear of any do tell me).”
As the exchanges continue Linda writes “Musiwa 2 nguva dzino chinenge chakachaya kkk (On the 2nd at exactly this time we will be having fun” to which Mapfeka replies “8 days, wakavhura (Have you opened?” Linda asks: “Kuvhura (Opening?)” and the Revered replies “Ehe! (Yes)”.
The Reverend who was supposed to take the sermon was dump-founded with his wife seated next to him including his teenage girls.
“Church elders identified as Kaisi and Zimunya approached the man who was visibly angry. They asked him to go outside with them so that the issue could be discussed outside the church in private,” a source narrated in an email.
“Church members just looked at each other as the commotion went on, Reverend Mapfeka’s wife followed outside. She later came to collect her children and left. Members of the church then held a meeting with Mr. Chirewa who was accompanied by three of his friends.”
“On this particular day Mapfeka was supposed to announce that he has been to the Methodist Church Annual Conference in Zimbabwe during December 2014 and was re-stationed again as Superintendent of UK Charge area of the United Methodist Church,” the source continued to narrate.
“He went to Zimbabwe for the conference ahead of his girlfriend who followed him on a separate trip. In previous occasions the two flew together only to be discovered by church members on holiday back home.
“There are some members of the church whose wives have been to these church funded trips with Mapfeka especially to Germany. Their husbands are now fearing that Rev Mapfeka slept with their wives. These church funded trips take place annually and the United Methodist delegation is usually led by Mapfeka and he does not send any of his colleagues on trips.”
“Reverend Mapfeka is a known womanizer in the church, a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. The United Methodist members in the UK and the leadership back in Zimbabwe (including Bishop Nhiwatiwa) were advised that he was fishing women from his congregation.
“Both chose to turn a blind eye with no formal investigation being done. A known case was a girl from the church who had always travelled with Mapfeka whenever he flies to Zimbabwe for the Annual United Methodist Conference in Zimbabwe.
“Bishop Nhiwatiwa and his cabinet does not question him why he always leaves his wife in the UK when ever he travels on Church funded trip to Zimbabwe for Annual Conferences.
“It is during the annual conference that ministers are given new assignments. His well-known girl friend in the church goes ahead, after him or with him. Church members have noticed that when ever Mapfeka is in Zimbabwe the girlfriend is also back home.”
“The sex scandal has divided the church as some women say that the women involved was separated from her husband. Men are saying Mapfeka is an adulterous man since previously he had demanded proof of his long standing affair with one of the young women in the church.”
Meanwhile Mapfeka has written a letter to his superiors asking for a “pastoral statement to help the church understand that the matter is now under consideration and will be dealt with ensuring fairness to all parties concerned.”
Mapfeka said the demand by his accusers that “I stop conducting my responsibilities with immediate effect violates my basic right to normal life until proven guilty.” He has also sought police advice on how to ensure the safety of his family since the incident.
But it appears the Methodist hierarchy has moved swiftly to act and the Australian Mission Area has already barred Mapfeka from a youth conference, which is scheduled for Friday to Sunday in that country.
Mapfeka was due to attend as a guest speaker but Drs Dzimano and Mbano wrote to him telling him to “cancel flight arrangements” as his invitation had been “withdrawn immediately”.
The decision to withdraw the invitation, Drs Dzimano and Mbano said, was taken because “parents have raised concerns with the negative impact and distraction your presence may cause at the conference”.
