Eagle Life Assembly leader Blessing Chiza used his church’s Sunday service to defend himself after he wrongly predicted that Zimbabwe will reach the just-ended African Nations Championships (Chan) finals.

Chiza had reportedly predicted that the Warriors would beat Libya 3-0 in the semi-finals played last week in South Africa.

He has been labelled a false prophet on social media after Zimbabwe was dumped from the tournament by eventual winners Libya.

But Chiza appeared to be blaming the media for misquoting him saying he had even prophesied as early as last year that he would be vilified by journalists.

A video that was reportedly made on May 19 2013 where Chiza made the prophecy about the persecution in the media was played at the fully-packed church in Bulawayo’s Thorngrove area yesterday.

In the video Chiza says: “I know there are some of you who see things, yet you don’t see things properly.

“There are journalists here who are going to say things. They are not going to say good things about me and this church.”

He also tells his followers that the negative publicity would only make him stronger.

“I encourage you to pray and remain steadfast. I will be in all the newspapers. I will be on page one, two and even on page three,” he said.

“In some newspapers there will be full-page articles with big pictures of me. I say this because I have been shown.”

After the video was shown, Chiza told the congregants that last week’s events were a fulfillment of the prophecy.

“It is not something new, we have seen it coming,” he added.

Some congregants told Radio Dialogue that they attended the church service where Chiza made the “prophecy” about the media coverage.

Before the false Libya prophecy, Chiza had correctly predicted that Zimbabwe would beat Mali in the quarter-finals. Last year he predicted that Highlanders would beat How Mine to lift the Mbada Diamonds Cup. After the Libya debacle he conceded that his prophecy was wrong.

“I admit that I didn’t see well, but I have always said that my prophecies are not 100% accurate because I am not God,” he was quoted saying.

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