Men of the cloth and adultery

Yoliswa Dube Features Writer
“LET marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous,” declares Hebrews 13:4. But Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy Church, and his wife, Anita, are reportedly undergoing divorce proceedings following adultery allegations, contrary to the passage of scriptures. Pastor Chris is regarded as one of the richest and most influential pastors in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, and co-authors the fast-selling Christian daily devotional, Rhapsody of Realities.
Prophetic Healing Deliverance Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya is facing a $500,000 adultery lawsuit which he has responded to saying there is no evidence to show he was involved with Denford Mutashu’s wife, Nomsa.

Prophet Magaya asked for exception or alternatively for the lawsuit to be struck off by the High Court.
Mutashu accused Prophet Magaya in the adultery claim he filed of being head over heels in love with his wife such that at one time he sent her love messages almost every minute, describing her as sexually attractive.

Mutashu is demanding $250,000 for loss of affection and another $250,000 for loss of consortium.
According to the claim, Mutashu is married to Nomsa in terms of Marriage Act Chapter 5:11 and the marriage still subsists.
Johane Marange (Simon branch) leader, Clement Momberume who bedded his nephew’s wife is set to pay him $10,000 for adultery.

In his $10,000 lawsuit, Dhliwayo said his uncle who is the leader of an apostolic sect with 500 members resides in Mutare, but occasionally came to Bulawayo where he bedded his wife.
A senior pastor with the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe in Masvingo, Reverend Menard Zvenyika, who was facing a $10,000 lawsuit from a congregant accusing him of engaging in an adulterous sexual relationship with his wife, allegedly committed suicide by drinking poison, minutes before he attended a disciplinary hearing over the allegations.

The woman was employed as a housemaid at the pastor’s house for about five years. Rev Zvenyika had denied committing adultery with the married woman when he appeared before a Masvingo magistrate.

The pastor was found dead in a lorry belonging to Pamushana High School headmaster, Johnson Madhuku that was parked within the school yard in Bikita.
Rev Zvenyika was a minister at the church-run school and allegedly impregnated the woman thrice and reportedly forced her to have an abortion each time.
These adultery allegations are some of many that have drawn the interest of scores of people.

Perhaps because the general perception across various sections of society is that men of the cloth are individuals of high moral standing
They are, in more ways than one, beacons of society. They lead the “lost” to “eternity”, provide counsel and most importantly are meant to be the sober voice wherever there is turmoil.
Adultery charges levelled against men of God have brought them persecution and social crucifixion from many that believe their office should never be defiled, and the sanctity of marriage, especially theirs, must be preserved at all costs.

“Hearing that my pastor has committed adultery is very unsettling. Somehow, because they’re a pastor, I don’t expect them to be involved in such. I expect much more from them, morally.

“This is the person I go to when I need sound advice. Obviously, all respect is lost when you hear that your pastor has cheated. You wonder what they can teach you and what else they have done that you never got to hear about,” said Thanduxolo Ndlovu, a Bulawayo resident and regular church goer.
He said there were certain things a man of God could be forgiven for but committing adultery was not one of them.

“When someone cheats on their spouse, there is a chain of people affected. But when it’s a pastor, it goes beyond the home and the family. It means the name of the church is also dragged through the mud. An ordinary man can be forgiven over time but when it’s a pastor, people will never respect him or his words again,” said Ndlovu.

Adultery is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral or legal grounds. Though what sexual activities constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious and legal consequences, the concept exists in many cultures.

Historically, many cultures have considered adultery a very serious matter. Adultery often incurred severe punishment, usually for the woman and sometimes for the man, with penalties including the death penalty, mutilation or torture.

“The problem is that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spirit and principality. It is the work of enemies and members of the public that blow things out of proportion sometimes,” said Pastor Godfrey Mhlanga.

Pastor Mhlanga acknowledged that men of God may “fall into sin” but more often than not, “adultery” allegations were being fabricated.
“It could be a lie sometimes, look at the situation between Joseph and Potiphar’s wife for example. Some people died without ever knowing the truth about what happened between them. Joseph never made any sexual advancement towards Potiphar’s wife.”

Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, was taken to Egypt where he was sold to Potiphar as a household slave. Potiphar made Joseph the head of his household, but Potiphar’s wife, furious at Joseph for resisting her attempts to seduce him, accused him falsely of attempted rape. Potiphar cast Joseph into prison, from where he later comes to the notice of Pharaoh through his ability to interpret the dreams of other prisoners.

“It’s sad but a man of God is a human being with feelings and yes they may be tempted if they entertain unholy thoughts. They need people to rebuke them. We’re from the same planet after all.

“Also, pastors need to have solid relationships with their wives; they should be close and friendly with their wives. My wife should know the things that excite me and those that don’t, she should know what tempts me,” said the man of the cloth.

Pastor Mhlanga said men of God sometimes get busy to the extent that they forget to sit back and reflect on their personal lives.
“If there is a gap between a pastor and his wife in terms of understanding ministry, there will always be that problem. Let our wives rise up.”
Lawyer Collins Rungwandi said adultery claims constituted delictual damages.

Delict is a term in civil law jurisdictions for a civil wrong consisting of an intentional or negligent breach of duty of care that inflicts loss or harm and which triggers legal liability for the wrongdoer.

When awarding delictual damages, courts have to determine the difference between the present “financial state” of the plaintiff and the state he or she would have been in had the delict not occurred.

“If you wrong your spouse, they’re entitled to delictual damages. The damages can be classified as the loss of consortium which is the loss of companionship as well as emotional distress where one’s emotions are stabbed as a result of the other party’s actions.

“These are civil claims which can be filed either at the magistrates or high court depending on the amount of money being claimed,” said Rungwandi.
He said the exorbitant amounts of money associated with delictual damages depended on the cash flow as well as the social standing of the person involved in the claim.
“There is a growing trend of pastors being involved in adultery claims and this is probably because of the prevalence of prophets and miracle churches. Pastors are exposed and overwhelmed by the number of women that go to them with problems. There is so much temptation involved.

“You’ll find that some problems are personal and of a sexual nature, they take advantage,” said Rungwandi.
General damages is the broad term given to non-pecuniary loss such as pain and suffering, loss of amenities, emotional harm and is awarded to a plaintiff as part of compensatory damages to cover all losses which are not easily quantified as opposed to pecuniary damages, which are damages for harm to one’s personality and physical integrity.
Social commentator Reverend Paul Damasane said the first most important thing was to interrogate whether or not adultery is right or wrong.

“Adultery is wrong for any human being following Christian principles. For a pastor, it becomes even more difficult because he is someone people emulate. But we need to find out what the cause is to begin with.

“I think it’s because pastors lack accountability for their actions. We don’t have people who play an oversight role in our lives.
“We forget that in our contact with many people, we need to be more careful with our relationships with women, married or unmarried,” said Rev Damasane.
He said people need not approach it as adultery but as sexual sin.

“For others, it could be an issue of promiscuity. Let it be so difficult for another woman to fall in love with me because of the places we meet, the words l use towards her, the way l relate with her, the way l look at her or the comments l make in her presence.

“A pastor should not forget that they’re a sexually active human being that has feelings. It can be likened to obesity which is as a result of the lack of discipline in eating,” said Rev Damasane.

“Remember that these are human beings. It means there was a need for training and discipline, which doesn’t come easy. It’s easy to have a crush on someone that is not yours. This is an issue of the leader and the led.”