Messiahs, mavericks or madmen?
EVERY now and then, the world is treated to a claim that borders on the absurd by men and women of religious dispositions. Africa could be leading the charts of supernatural claims that trigger a probe into the mental well-being of the individuals behind them.
People had grown used to prophets performing hard to believe miracles, orchestrated or otherwise.
Now it appears churchmen have taken it a notch higher, instead of claiming to act on behalf of God, they are now claiming to be lieutenants and other going to the extent of claiming to be the creator in flesh.
Below are some of the standout claims and miracles by those who say have access to the whispers of heaven. Takaedza Mundione The 44 year old Tynwald resident claims he is God.
Mundione, claims that he underwent a spiritual process to replace his human soul with what he termed the voice of God.
“In 2015, I underwent a fast of change where my human soul left body and the voice of God took over,” he said in an interview.
Naturally, claims of that nature inspire a subsequent inquiry on the stability of the nature `s reasoning.
Mundione believes the doubts cast upon his declarations are a case of history replaying itself as he endured the same during his first visit.
“When I first came (as Jesus), there were those who struggled to believe me and I am not surprised that even now there are other who are doing the same,” he said.
Describing his body in third person narrative, Mundione says since he became “God,” he abandoned most earthly pursuits including conjugal activities.
“When the spirit of God took over the body (mutumbi in his own words) I made my wife to understand that we were going to be living as brother and sister.
I even told her that she is free to remarry if she felt her needs still needed attention but she chose to stay,” Mundione said.
Referring to the bible in the manner one would to his personal notebook, he references scriptures as his own writings using words like “When I wrote that verse” in his explanations.
According to him, people have been going about their praying business wrong.
“I see their prayers, hanging because they are referring to a fictional character called Jesus. When I first I was called Yeshua and nothing has changed, Jesus was a creation of Roman mischief in translation.
Until people learn to address their prayers properly they will suffer” he said.
Mundione claims his altar is in Featherstone where the voice of “God” which speaks within him descended.
He leads a church called Evhangeri Youshe and Yeshua`s Messiah Church. Talent Madungwe Curious that he has not yet met Mundione who claims to be “God” yet he walks around saying his is deputy Chief Commander in heaven, Madungwe (33) has become a social media sensation.
Unlike other prophets, he has no money to show for it neither does he have a traceable miracle just utterances and claims.
In 2016, Madungwe told The Herald that he met God three times.
“Daniel of the Old Testament is my spiritual father,” said Madungwe.
He once claimed that God visited him at Harare kopje in 2016.
Time and again Madungwe appears with odd claims with one his proclamations was when he sensationally asserted that he had seen the late Tongai Moyo in hell on one of his visits to the ethereal world. Tepsy Nyanhete Heavenly claims know no gender. Perhaps a blast from the past, is a lady who gained notoriety in the late 90s under the alias Girl Jesus.
Like Mundione, she claimed to be Jesus Christ`s second coming.
The Guruve born girl -now wom- an-for years led the Mudzimu unoyera cult which had unorthodox methods of devotion including Tritnoi a language exclusive only to them.
Column inches have been dedicated in the local paper as scribes tried to understand the phenomenon that is Nyanhete who is now 27.
Recent reports by our sister paper The Sunday Mail show that Nyanhete is now seeking a new dawn from the religious show she had treated the world to.
Nyanhete`s parents have since groomed a new Girl Jesus as the original one is finding a taste of the circular world irresistible.
They had not anticipated that a person who convinced many that she was “Jesus” would one day share the stage with Alick Macheso. Paul Sanyangore In 2017, prophet Paul Sanyangore and his sidekick Tich Mataz shocked congregants at their Life Like Christ Church formerly known as Victory World Church when they claimed to be talking to God through the phone.
After outrage and public inquiries, Sanyangore told the media that the phone was one of the many ways he could communicate with heavens.
“It’s not a phone that I spoke to God through, because God speaks to my spirit but a phone is a faith booster. Remember God told Abraham you shall have children as the sand of the sea and as the stars in the sky. The stars and the sand became faith boosters that when Abraham saw the sand everyday and the stars every night it reminded him of God’s promises so his faith was boosted by those faith boosters,” he was quoted as saying.
Sanyangore`s cousin Andy Zimunya later came out speaking out against Sanyangore`s stunts saying they were well choreographed to hoodwink congregants.
Tafadzwanashe and Tapiwanashe Fichani
Although not from the same Christian cloth that others who appear on this list were cut from there is a pair which left the country in awe.
In 2006, Zimbabwe made global headlines after two brothers walked the street covering only their phallic anatomy leaving the rest to little imagination.
The duo claimed to be divine messengers preaching about creation and wanted to live against the conventional way. After brushes with the law, the twins disappeared from the scene only to resurface as mine bosses in Gokwe, a few years ago in a story carried by The Herald.
It appears they have turned a new leaf and are now responsible citizens whose past can be disputable if narrated to someone who did not see them in action in 2006.
Matters of faith are open to interpretation, this is why prophets fill auditoriums even in the face of a glaring scandal. Where some claim to see and hear voices from heaven, others claim to its custodians. Is it elevated faith or blasphemy? ◆ Feedback: dzengavisuals@gmail.
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