Withi RelZim.org articles about Emmanuel Makandiwa

 by Sindiso Moyo and staff 

Prophet Makandiwa with his wife. (photo from UFIM web site)

Within a relatively short period of time, prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa has established one of the biggest Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe, United Family International Ministries (UFIM).  Originally a young pastor of the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), he founded the new movement in the years 2008-2010.  His controversial public healing sessions and prophecies have won him both supporters and critics. Makandiwa is increasing his influence in Zimbabwean society through a series of media-related acquisitions and expansion of church property to Chitungwiza, one of the most densely populated parts of the country. 

In April 2012, tourism minister Walter Mzembi described Makandiwa as a tourist attraction, who draws huge crowds to his congregations.

In mid-2012, Makandiwa was featured on the 50 Most Influential Africans List compiled by the Zimbabwean Kubatana.net based on a poll among their readers.

Closer to the end of 2012, Pan-African publication New African named Prophet Makandiwa one of the 100 most influential Africans in the Religion/Traditional Leader category.

Early life 

Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa (also known as Shingirai Chirume) was born in December 1977 into a family of small farmers. His parents are elders in the Apostolic Faith Mission Church in Muzarabani district of Mashonaland Central Province. In 1993, Makandiwa and other boys of his age spent six months with the late pastor Mukwaira on “crusades”.

Makandiwa, after completing his secondary education at Zengeza High school in Chitungwiza, returned to help his parents till the land. In Muzarabani, Makandiwa started taking God’s word seriously and the next four years turned his life around.

With his parents he organised gospel crusades and preached from home. In 1995, he was reportedly called in a vision by God to deliver his people from the bondage of Satan and teamed up with local AFM Pastor Rev. Munyengeterwa on gospel crusades.

In 2000, Makandiwa enrolled at the AFM’s Living Waters Theological Seminary in Harare, graduating in 2002. During the same year, he married Ruth Makawa.

After finishing his pastoral studies, Rev Makandiwa chose to go to Matabeleland and worked as an assistant pastor under the supervision of Rev. Madzivire, who is now the president of AFM.

After ordination, he was given an assembly in Shangani, where he became the talk of the neighbourhood with his demonstrations of the power of God. In 2004, he was transferred to How Mine and subsequently to Hebron Assembly in Chitungwiza.

UFIM, the religious community currently led by Makandiwa, was launched in August 2008 as a lunch-hour fellowship at the Anglican Cathedral in Harare. The fellowship was so popular, that after only a week at the cathedral, it moved to the State Lotteries Hall and subsequently to the City Sports Centre. In 2010, United Family International Ministries, which comprises the United Family Interdenominational Ministries and the United Family International Church, was formed. The Interdenominational ministry is the mother ministry of the other ministries and arms, which fall under the United Family International Ministries. Makandiwa’s wife, Pastor Ruth Makandiwa heads the charity ministry in UFIM, supporting widows and orphans financially and materially.

Controversies 

Growing tension between the AFM leadership and Makandiwa led to him being asked to choose between the UFIM and AFM. There are those who claim that his expulsion from the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) was a result of serious differences over the source of his “healing” powers, while other churches accuse him of “stealing their people”.

Always controversial, some men have gone so far as to accuse him of ruining their marriages by exposing their extra-marital affairs to their wives through his prophecies. His followers say these allegations are a result of jealousy.

In one of prophet Makandiwa’s healing sessions on November 12, 2010, a 66-year-old woman, Rhoda Mafungautse died after having travelled from Chinhoyi to have her leg healed. Eyewitnesses present said Rhoda limped off to her death after the prophet had attempted to perform one of his “miracles” on her.

In the first months of 2012, Makandiwa’s name was mentioned during the investigation of a case against Chitungwiza housing director Jemina Gumbo. According to the state, Gumbo allocated two stands to UFIM on November 7, 2008 and another one on July 8, 2011. Council had approved the construction of a stadium and hotel on the two stands. As of April 2012, UFIM followers continued buying up stands in Chitungwiza. Chairman of the Promised Land Housing Scheme, Reginald Msika, confirmed that the project would benefit members of the church.

In December 2012, three Chitungwiza residents sued UFIM for encroaching on property.

Throughout the second half of 2012, Makandiwa was criticised by both religious and lay people for his faith-healing claims

Political issues

On March 1, 2011, Emmanuel Makandiwa officiated at the launch of the Zanu-PF anti-sanctions campaign and signed the petition against the travel restrictions imposed on President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF members. Makandiwa became one of several high-profile religious leaders to join the anti-sanctions campaign. Others include the Anglican faction leader Nobert Kunonga, Pentecostal Assembly of Zimbabwe’s Trevor Manhanga, and African Apostolic Church leader Paul Mwazha.

It became widely known in April 2012 that Makandiwa was building a house for Chief Kasekete Changara of Mashonaland Central. “Makandiwa is a child who grew up in my area of jurisdiction and his parents live at Vhudzijena Village, Muzarabani,” Chief Kasekete explained to the press. A series by a London-based “SW Radio Africa” journalist Lance Guma exposed the role Chief Kasekete played in the violence and murder in Muzarabani in the run-up to 2008 presidential elections.

In 2012 Zimbabwe’s First Lady Grace Mugabe named a child in her orphanage after Makandiwa to raise funds.

Makandiwa and media 

On July 26, 2011, his church launched a program of “spiritual airtime cards” which generated controversy in business and legal circles. Makandiwa left the country the following week, citing personal reasons for visiting his spiritual father and vacation for his family. This prompted a debate in the media about whether he ran away from being jailed, with Makandiwa’s spokesperson declaring that the prophet will be back regardless of prison or lawsuit.

At the end of August 2011, Makandiwa returned to the country. Eighteen worshippers were injured as they rushed to attend the church service following the prophet’s return.

UFIC applied for a licence (granted on March 8, 2012) to launch a monthly magazine The Family.

Prophet Makandiwa retains a good relationship with some of Zimbabwe’s celebrity gospel singers. At the end of 2011, he surprise-gifted Michael Mahendere and Vimbai Nyatsambo with a Mercedes-Benz E320 during the couple’s wedding at Paradise Gardens.

In December 2012, Makandiwa filed a USD 2 million lawsuit against Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe over a banner that linked him to the Anglican church saga.

Associated organizations

Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe

Spirit Embassy

United Family International Ministries

UFIM charity ministry 

 

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