AN EX-CULT MEMBER’S HARROWING TALE
A FORMER member of Madzibaba Ishmael’s Apostolic Church has come forward with shocking details of alleged abuses and manipulative practices within the controversial religious sect.
The witness, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed a disturbing narrative of coercion and control that affected the lives of hundreds of congregants.
According to the witness, Madzibaba Ishmael wielded significant influence over the lives of his followers.
In a bizarre practice, husbands were required to seek permission from Madzibaba Ishmael before having sex with their wives.
The witness claimed that any deviation from these strict rules resulted in severe consequences for the individuals involved.
The witness claimed the fathers are the ones who are supposed to check the virginity of their daughters by inserting their fingers in the daughters’ private parts.
The members are not supposed to seek medical help when they fall sick and they are supposed to rely on mweya (the spirit) for healing.
Members are not supposed to have cellphones and national IDs.
They are not supposed to have any form of contact with their relatives.
“Congregants were instructed to disown their families and regard fellow church members as their only true family,” she said.
“This policy created an environment where individuals were cut off from their support systems and became entirely dependent on the church community.”
The witness detailed personal experiences, revealing that her family withdrew from the church after a member expressed interest in marrying her.
“The prospective groom was a friend of my uncle and started pursuing me after frequent visits to our home,” she said.
“My family later stopped going to that church.
“The man had another wife and he told her that if they can get me as a second wife, he would buy her a car, so when my grandmother heard about this she stopped going to the church.”
She said one of her friends was handed to an old man, as his wife, when she was just 14.
“I have a friend who is still going to that church right now, she was married when she was just 14 years old.
“Members of the sect were not supposed to get education as schools encourage the ‘wrong kind of thinking’.”