Reverend’s birthday party funds brew trouble

MEMBERS of the United Methodist Church Section 20 in Dangamvura thronged the Mutare Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after their section leader dragged a church mate to court on assault charges stemming from a misunderstanding over funds meant for the Reverend’s birthday party.

Wisdom Humure (47) who heads the UMC Dangamvura Section 20 filed assault charges against Rodger Chirara (72) whom he accused of beating him up over church birthday funds.

However, in his defence Chirara told the court that Humure was demanding more money from him just because he had children in the Diaspora.

Allegations were that Humure went to Chirara’s Dangamvura residence with the intention of collecting construction funds for their church building.

“The complainant calculated the accused person’s arrears and told him how much he owed the church. This did not down well with the suspect who then asked him on whether he had cleared his own arrears. The accused person then assaulted the complainant accusing him of demanding cash from him,” said public prosecutor Mr Matthew Chimutunga.

Chirara however, told the court that Humure threatened to revoke the blessings that the Lord had bestowed on him claiming that he was closer to God than him since he worked with the Reverend.

“He said since he was closer to the Reverend then he has power to revoke the blessings that the Lord granted me. He threatened to make a prayer to revoke my blessings before he left my house. According to him, I had refused to pay the contributions that were supposed to help in preparing for the Reverend’s birthday party.

“He said because I have children in the Diaspora I had to pay more than what other church members were paying. I would not hear it because it was not fair,” said Chirara. Chirara further told the court that he had asked Humure on whether he had paid his own contributions towards the birthday but Humure told him that he was doing God’s work and therefore the work was his own payment.

Ms Perseverance Makala acquitted Chirara of the assault charges after he presented substantial evidence to prove his innocence.