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Kingstone Mapupu
TEPSY NYANHETE (23), who made headlines in her childhood, for claiming to be Jesus and leading over 2000 children and adults, is at it again. This time, the Guruve based self proclaimed Jesus’ church – Mudzimu Unoyera – in Mashonaland Central Province, which believes in ancestry worshipping – has introduced a rule that all female church members should not wear dresses and skirts, but trousers only.
Theirs is a sacred church, one whose devout members worship Nyanhete, who has now changed her name to Jepsy. She resides at the church’s headquarters in Guruve.
The church also strongly believes in ancestors.
The followers have been worshipping Jepsy since she was a young girl and they have had a brush with the law.
They also speak a strange language Tritnoti, where words like kechitino, lenia, kisdond, solopia, sobhiko, sopianty, bekiwat, dhegame, gichinai wanisa jethia mean something to them, but difficult to comprehend for outsiders.
They simply believe she is Jesus. The worshippers claim she is just as good as Jesus Christ who rose from the dead.
They call her Jepsy Nyanhete Jekia Mambo Tenzi.
One of the church elders who stays in Dotito, Mt Darwin Mr Jitita Tressed Boarding Mayunga (59) says he worships a living god whom he speaks with everyday.
“Jesus is in Guruve, do you not know Jepsy Nyanhete whom we call Jekia Mambo Tenzi? Long back it was revealed that the real Jesus will resurrect among black people. Behold she has descended on Zimbabwe and people are surprised. We should be thankful for that,” Mr Mayunga said.
Mr Mayunga and his family which lives in headman Kanyenze’s area are all members of the Mudzimu Unoyera church.
“Ancestral spirits and mediums, which were in existence from way back in time, testify to our holiness this is why we observe sacred days of the week.
“Jesus Christ was crucified and rose on the third day.
“The spirit says he was met with a dark cloud as he ascended.
“The interpretation is that he would come back as a black person that is why this kingdom is among us today,” Mayunga said.
Christ, he says, first spoke to Mudyiwa Dzangare who comes from Nevanji, Nyamweda in Mhondoro whom he says used to perform miracles and signs.
“We would play mbira, drums and hosho during our ceremonies. When he died his spirit came onto this girl who is ‘Jesus’ today,” Mr Mayunga said.
While the church does not read the Bible, the man would always make references to the bible during his conversation with this paper.
“We use prayer and water in helping people in our church. Our prophets interact with spirit mediums, they use the same spirit which comes from God,” he said.
Mr Mayunga said while on his death bed the spirit that was on Mudyiwa said on its return it will have the testimony and support of ancestors and spirit mediums.
He said the spirit instructed the women of the church to wear trousers only, “this is what the spirit wants” in the church.
“The spirit instructed that women and girls whether at home or in church should always wear trousers and no one should be found in a dress.
“Right now my wife and my daughter-in-law are wearing trousers and they look good in them. There is nothing to be ashamed of this is what the spirit wants,” he said.
His son Defajati Tinashe Mayunga (25) said if anyone visits their church in Guruve they would find all women dressed in trousers just like men.
“You should go to Guruve and find out for yourselves, the King herself will answer you. You will come back satisfied, Jespy was born to be ‘Jesus’, and she is not supposed to marry. Because of her behaviour people only realised that she was ‘Jesus’ when she turned three,” said Tinashe.
Tinashe’s mother, Tespia Nyamhanza Teniyaki (49) said she was happy to be wearing a pair of trousers at all times.
“Whites were the first ones to dress in trousers and today the spirit has instructed this church to do likewise. No woman in the church should be found wearing dresses,” she said.
Nyamhanza’s daughter-in-law Farisai Kunatsa Zuva (24) who was also wearing a pair of trousers said there was nothing wrong with women wearing trousers.
“It is a great favour for women and girls to be instructed by the spirit to freely wear trousers, forget about dresses and be like men. We are grateful for that,” said Farisai.
The men in the church wear leather skins on their right hands for identification.
“Women wear necklaces with star pendants while the men wear leather skin bangles on their right hands, so our worshippers can be easily identified,” said Mr Mayunga.
Jepsy was born in a family of five.
At six years, her sister known as “Moses”, who is the last born, shocked a news crew that visited their church after they failed to lift her up and concluded “she was like a piece of iron stuck into the ground.”
Jepsy’s mother, Entrance Nyanhete, spent seven months in prison, where she had to be transferred to her own cell because of serious communication problems with others.
Other inmates could simply not understand her tritnoi language.
At one time Jepsy enrolled for Grade 1 after her followers were removed by law enforcement agents from the shrine in 2006 so that they could lead normal lives.
In 2009 Jepsy vowed that she would not marry – at least in this lifetime, as she wants to completely follow her church’s teachings.
She also said her sister Moses, would never get married. – Additional reporting Features department.
Online Reporter