Madzibaba Ishamea’s trial date set

By Tarisai Machakaire

HARARE – Vapositori leader Madzibaba Ishamea Mufani’s trial will commence on March 15 after the State announced that investigations were complete.

Mufani is being charged with public violence after members of his sect attacked journalists, police officers and Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) officials who had gone to shut down his church over abuse allegations of children and women early last year.

Eleven of his followers are serving four-year jail terms each after they were convicted on the same charge.

Mufani appeared before Harare magistrate Milton Serima. Allegations against him arose on May 30 when an entourage led by ACCZ executive president Archbishop Johannes Ndanga, that included police officers and journalists, was beaten up by the Vapositori.

This was after Ndanga had read out a letter banning the church on allegations of abusing women and children.

The congregants challenged the ACCZ leader to read his speech in Shona, claiming they were not familiar with English.

Ndanga then ordered police to arrest one of the congregants who kept interjecting as he read the speech.

Other congregants then began singing Umambo hwepfumo neropa, before all male congregants armed with shepherd’s crooks charged towards the “trespassers” and assaulted them. Daily News