Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) pastor Lukas Utete has launched a new book called Devil’s Lethal Dose.

The book seeks to lay strip the cunning works of Satan.

In the book, Utete shares biblical insights on how to become better equipped on handling obstacles as a Christian.

He also revisits the miracle of salvation and underscores its importance in the life of every believer.

“The book is written to emphasise the fact that salvation is through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. That there is almighty and eternal and who revealed himself through the person of Jesus Christ,” Utete said.

Inclusive and compelling, the book is both a celebration of the wonders of salvation and a guidebook that elucidates how Christians can grow in their faith.

“Devil’s Lethal Dose looks at the various ways the Devil is deceiving people into believing that there are many ways of reaching God,” Utete says.

The Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) Church has been ordered to refund an ex-pastor US$10 000 for the refurbishment of a church house.

Richman Muguti, a former pastor at Yobel Centre (an AFM branch in Chinhoyi), is claiming money that he allegedly lent the congregation for the construction of a church house in 2008.

In her judgement, magistrate Olivia Marega wrote, “the respondent is ordered to pay the plaintiff an amount of $10 000 with costs and interests as evidence have vividly shown that developmental progress took over soon after the applicant’s arrival.”

 “The church owed me $10 000 for the construction of a house but they are refusing to pay me back, claiming I am fabricating,” said a fuming Muguti.

The former pastor says he is shocked that AFM is now shifting goal posts notwithstanding the fact that signatures of church officials are appended on the acknowledgement form which was written as a proof of agreement.

“We conducted a meeting with church board members and agreed the sum would be returned soon after the completion of the building but those same members are now dismissing the agreement,” he testified.

Farai Chitemerere who is also a member of the AFM dismissed the Muguti’s claim saying that, by the time the defrocked pastor undertook the job, construction was already underway.

“We managed to acquire the land prior to the pastor’s arrival and by then the pastor was just a mere individual with nothing to show off in terms of material stability.

“It is the church that provided everything that is from food to blankets. How could he generate $10 000 when he failed to raise money for his wife’s medication?” said Chitemerere.

The case that has been going on in a see-saw finally came to an end yesterday much to the delight of Muguti who claims that when he arrived at the church it was in a state of disrepair.

“How could a man who owns fancy cars like a Pajero, Mercedes Benz, Mazda 626 and a Toyota Corolla fail to buy a blanket?

“The fact that prior to my arrival there was no development at the church clearly shows my contribution towards the church’s wellbeing,” said Muguti.

Muguti claims that he was fired from the church after he had asked to be reimbursed the money he used in the renovating of a church house.

She was 43.

The funeral followed a memorial services in the afternoon by Overseer Pastor Cosam Chiyangwa of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe. ”I know Makanyara and her husband as God-fearing people. I have seen God raising them to stardom. God is faithful to those who are righteous before him.”

Prophetess Makanyara married Bishop Chipunza in 1990 and they later started an interdenominational ministry called School of Deliverance in 2006 – while they pastured with AFM in Zimbabwe. The couple left the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe two years ago, following the footsteps of Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa and Apostole Tavonga Vutabwashe, to form the Apostolic Flame Ministries of Zimbabwe.

The Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Cde Didymus Mutasa, who is related to Bishop Chipunza, as they both belong to the Nyati dynasty, was among the mourners at the burial.

Prophet Chipunza is survived by her husband Oliver and four children.

Bishop Oliver Chipunza (centre) with his brother (left) and Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa during the memorial service of Mrs Makanyara Chipunza in Harare (Photo courtesy of Nehanda Radio)

He also opened up on his life, saying he battled for admission to the AFM Zimbabwe theological college and failed to get a place to train as a pastor on three attempts.

Prophet Makandiwa was among dignitaries who thronged Bishop Chipunza’s Number 6 Waddington house in Marlborough, Harare, for the funeral service that attracted hundreds of people, including senior pastors from AFM. Prophet Makandiwa said he persevered until God opened the gates for him. “I applied for admission at Living Waters Theological Seminary on the first occasion and failed to get a place. I applied for the second time without success. I again applied for the third time, but still failed to get a place at the seminary,” he said.

Prophet Makandiwa said he only got the place after his father intervened and literally dumped him at a senior AFM pastor’s house. “My father then took me to Harare [from his rural home]. We went to Waterfalls where he left me at Chipere’s house saying, ‘I am leaving him here until he gets a place at Living Waters.’ Chipere ran around until I was admitted to the college,” he said.

Prophet Makandiwa ranks as one of the most prominent pastors in the country with his church services attracting thousands every Sunday. Makandiwa was recently featured on the 50 Most Influential Africans List compiled by the Zimbabwean Kubatana.net based on a poll among their readers.

Reverend C. Chiangwa, Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe overseer for Harare West Province.

Dates: September 3 to 9
Venue: Mabelreign Shops, Harare
Theme: Unlimited Favour
Time: 5:30 pm to 9 pm
Speakers: Reverends A. Chiangwa; A. Nhamburo and Onismo Sasa
Contact: +263-4-777763/4
Email/website: shiloword@gmail.com

Leader of the church, Isaiah Murove,  said  partisan traditional leaders and Apostolic sects, who are openly and “blindly” glorifying Zanu-PF, are working against God’s word. “We worship God and not politicians,” he said. “Our church has no room for politicians, as we are apostles of God and not apostles of Zanu-PF. He said time would come when political leaders would face their “Judgement Day”

“God has a way of doing things,” said Murove. “He hears our prayers for a better Zimbabwe. He will wipe out our tears when the time comes.”

Zanu-PF political leaders in Manicaland have been openly campaigning at Vapostori gatherings, as competition for voters ahead of elections later this year or in 2013 hots up.

Party heavyweights  such as Women’s League boss, Oppah Muchinguri, secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, provincial governor, Chris Mushohwe, and provincial chairman, Mike Madiro, have been attending various Vapostori services held by Johanne Marange, Masowe weChishanu and Africa Apostolic Faith Mission [probably what the author meant was the African Apostolic Church, one of Zimbabwean AICs] among others, where they have been pitching their political manifestos.

One of the faction leaders of Johanne Marange, Noah Taguta, last year invited President Robert Mugabe to  the church’s Passover. Top Zanu-PF leadership in other parts of the country, notably national political commissar, Webster Shamu, regularly addresses  Apostolic sects’ gatherings  barefooted and clad in church gowns in pursuit to win support for the party.

See related material

AFM pastor: don’t turn churches into political parties

Minister of Information: Church and politics are closely linked

Makandiwa’s personnel at loss accommodating prayerful crowd on Judgement Night

The sangoma has been identified as Mbuya Oniso. Munyaradzi’s affair with Mbuya Oniso came to light after Chipo got a tip-off from one of her husband’s friends and raided sangoma’s house yesterday morning. 

Chipo, who was accompanied by a police officer, seized Mbuya Oniso’s tools of trade including black and white robes, machetes and knobkerries and took them to Marondera police station. ”When my husband stopped coming home in January, I prayed and fasted for 31 days. I came here and spent three days and three nights on a mountain praying for my husband to come back home. I am not afraid of these love potions that are being used to bewitch my husband. By exposing them, I am making them lose their power of controlling him. I love my husband and I cannot let another woman take away my joy just because she is a sangoma,” declared Chipo.

She said she was still at a loss of words regarding how her husband had decided to leave their luxurious house and go to cohabit in the “back of beyond” in Dema. ”My husband and I have been happily married under Chapter 5.11 for the past 16 years. A week before he moved out, he bought me a brand new car which is enough evidence that he loves me. I was only surprised when I saw what he called a divorce token of US$1 in the house as well as a letter that he wrote letting me know that he no longer loves me. We have a very beautiful house in Chitungwiza and it can only be juju that made him leave our mansion to come and stay here. We had a very lucrative business in plumbing where we earn thousands of dollars every month. But as I speak, the business is collapsing because he is spending most of his time here. He also sold one of our cars, a Toyota Raum, to a certain man and I only got to know about it when I saw the man with the car,” she said.

“My husband and I used to go to Apostolic Faith Mission church. I am hurt with the news I heard from the residents that he is now wearing ritual robes (black and white robes and beads) assisting her in the process. I was reliably informed by residents that he spends time at a nearby river because he now thinks he has the spirit of a mermaid. Some have told me he is being made to wash the dishes and clothes on Mbuya Oniso while others say he always follows behind her with a bucket of water each time she visits the toilet. He has really changed, he is not like the Munya I used to know. I used to weigh 52 kg but now I have really lost weight because of emotional stress,” Chipo further complained.

Munyaradzi’s cousin, Ishmael Ratowa, who was present at the scene said he also believes that Munyaradzi was being controlled by love charms. ”We have discovered that, under a pillow on which he was sleeping, there were a pair of panties that had beads on it. And that is enough evidence to show that he is being controlled by these love potions,” said Ishmael.

Contacted for comment, Mbuya Oniso, who was away when her four-room house was raided, was quick to accuse Chipo of forcefully entering her house without her permission. ”She came to my house without my permission. She is just taking advantage of the fact that I was not there at the moment,” the sangoma said.

All Munyaradzi could say to the media on the matter was, ” Chipo is no longer my wife. I cannot have such kind of a woman in my life.”