Herald Reporters RESIDENTS of Budiriro, Harare, yesterday destroyed a Johanne Masowe eChishanu shrine because the sect leader Madzibaba Is...
Herald Reporters
RESIDENTS of Budiriro, Harare, yesterday destroyed a Johanne Masowe eChishanu shrine because the sect leader Madzibaba Ishmael Mufani reportedly incited followers to brutally assault rivals, police officers and journalists last Friday.
Not much is known about Madzibaba Ishmael, though neighbours gave intriguing accounts to The Herald of the sect leader who has gained overnight notoriety.
A former colleague, Madzibaba Enock Ndlovu, said he broke with the Hwedza-born Madzibaba Ishmael — who is on the run — a few years ago after he started calling himself “God”.
Neighbours alleged he had a mental illness that manifested in 2008, and Madzibaba Ishmael approached Madzibaba Enock of the Venguwo Tsvuku sect for help.
Madzibaba Enock yesterday confirmed helping Madzibaba Ishmael.
“A few years later he started to call himself God and we left him to follow his beliefs,” Madzibaba Enock said.
Police were still hunting down sect members believed to have been involved in the violence, with 26 of them having been arrested by end of day yesterday.
Madzibaba Ishmael’s house (number 17088 Tabudirira Housing Co-operative, Budiriro) was deserted yesterday, with only a dilapidated Peugeot 504, Mitsubishi Lancer and VW Beetle in the yard.
“He normally does gardening in the evening, but he has not been around since last week,” said one neighbour.
“We last saw his pregnant wife and their six children on Saturday evening, a day after the attack.
“His son-in-law is the one coming to water his garden. He fends for himself and does not go to work,” one said.
Another added that Madzibaba Ishmael’s children did not attend school and spent the day playing.
“When not at home, he would be at his shrine conducting healing sessions,” said a neighbour.
“His first born daughter was expelled while in Form 2 due to mischief, but she is married now.”
The neighbour then described the man as “selfish” and “erratic”.
“When he joined the sect, he had a mental problem and was treated by Madzibaba Nehemiah who was leading the sect at that time, sometime in 2002,” he claimed.
Madzibaba Ishmael took over when Madzibaba Nehemiah died in 2004.
Hundreds of residents marched to his shrine in solidarity with victims of the violence, who included Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe officials.
They burnt garments abandoned there after the attack, and smashed claypots and other items used in services.
Addressing the marchers, Zanu-PF Harare provincial youth chairperson Cde Godwin Gomwe said President Mugabe, the party and Government were not against the apostolic churches.
“We are 100 percent in support of the apostolic churches, but we are against the behaviour such as that (which) was being conducted here at the shrine,” he said.
“We are against Ishmael’s religion as we believe that he was not a man of God, but was using the name only to conduct his evil ways and abusing (sic) members.”
Cde Gomwe said Madzibaba Ishmael should not be allowed to continue leading the sect.
ACCZ president Bishop Johannes Ndanga said there were “a lot of issues here and we did not want to apprehend or arrest Ishmael, but to ban the church following a lot of complaints by the people”.
He said they were unhappy with the reported abuse of children and women.
In interviews with The Herald, religious leaders condemned the attack.
Reverend Matenda Madzoke of the Christ Apostolic Church said, “We do not condone the assault on police officers or anyone else. The country’s Constitution grants freedom of worship and not the abuse of women and children within religious entities.”
Archbishop Jameson Shoko of the Zion Apostolic Faith Mission said the role of the church was to spread peace, while secretary-general of the Union for the Development of Apostolic and Zionist Churches in Zimbabwe Africa, Reverend Edson Tsvakai, said violence was abhorant.
RESIDENTS of Budiriro, Harare, yesterday destroyed a Johanne Masowe eChishanu shrine because the sect leader Madzibaba Ishmael Mufani reportedly incited followers to brutally assault rivals, police officers and journalists last Friday.
Not much is known about Madzibaba Ishmael, though neighbours gave intriguing accounts to The Herald of the sect leader who has gained overnight notoriety.
A former colleague, Madzibaba Enock Ndlovu, said he broke with the Hwedza-born Madzibaba Ishmael — who is on the run — a few years ago after he started calling himself “God”.
Neighbours alleged he had a mental illness that manifested in 2008, and Madzibaba Ishmael approached Madzibaba Enock of the Venguwo Tsvuku sect for help.
Madzibaba Enock yesterday confirmed helping Madzibaba Ishmael.
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| Police attack triggers demo• Residents destroy Budiriro shrine • ‘Church leader claimed to be God’ |
“A few years later he started to call himself God and we left him to follow his beliefs,” Madzibaba Enock said.
Police were still hunting down sect members believed to have been involved in the violence, with 26 of them having been arrested by end of day yesterday.
Madzibaba Ishmael’s house (number 17088 Tabudirira Housing Co-operative, Budiriro) was deserted yesterday, with only a dilapidated Peugeot 504, Mitsubishi Lancer and VW Beetle in the yard.
“He normally does gardening in the evening, but he has not been around since last week,” said one neighbour.
“We last saw his pregnant wife and their six children on Saturday evening, a day after the attack.
“His son-in-law is the one coming to water his garden. He fends for himself and does not go to work,” one said.
Another added that Madzibaba Ishmael’s children did not attend school and spent the day playing.
“When not at home, he would be at his shrine conducting healing sessions,” said a neighbour.
“His first born daughter was expelled while in Form 2 due to mischief, but she is married now.”
The neighbour then described the man as “selfish” and “erratic”.
“When he joined the sect, he had a mental problem and was treated by Madzibaba Nehemiah who was leading the sect at that time, sometime in 2002,” he claimed.
Madzibaba Ishmael took over when Madzibaba Nehemiah died in 2004.
Hundreds of residents marched to his shrine in solidarity with victims of the violence, who included Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe officials.
They burnt garments abandoned there after the attack, and smashed claypots and other items used in services.
Addressing the marchers, Zanu-PF Harare provincial youth chairperson Cde Godwin Gomwe said President Mugabe, the party and Government were not against the apostolic churches.
“We are 100 percent in support of the apostolic churches, but we are against the behaviour such as that (which) was being conducted here at the shrine,” he said.
“We are against Ishmael’s religion as we believe that he was not a man of God, but was using the name only to conduct his evil ways and abusing (sic) members.”
Cde Gomwe said Madzibaba Ishmael should not be allowed to continue leading the sect.
ACCZ president Bishop Johannes Ndanga said there were “a lot of issues here and we did not want to apprehend or arrest Ishmael, but to ban the church following a lot of complaints by the people”.
He said they were unhappy with the reported abuse of children and women.
In interviews with The Herald, religious leaders condemned the attack.
Reverend Matenda Madzoke of the Christ Apostolic Church said, “We do not condone the assault on police officers or anyone else. The country’s Constitution grants freedom of worship and not the abuse of women and children within religious entities.”
Archbishop Jameson Shoko of the Zion Apostolic Faith Mission said the role of the church was to spread peace, while secretary-general of the Union for the Development of Apostolic and Zionist Churches in Zimbabwe Africa, Reverend Edson Tsvakai, said violence was abhorant.
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