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PRESIDENTIAL hopeful and pastor, Mr Langton Towungana from Victoria Falls, who contested the 2018 presidential elections as an independent candidate, has been caught in an adultery and maintenance scandal after fathering two children with a married woman from his church.
Mr Towungana has two children, aged six and two years, with Ms Nkazimulo Sibanda, with whom he had an extramarital affair while she was married to Mr Khawulani Ncube. Ms Sibanda and Mr Ncube had been married for several years but were childless. They sought prayers and counselling from Mr Towungana, who allegedly told Ms Sibanda that her husband was incapable of impregnating her. He then proposed a romantic relationship, leading to a sexual affair between them.
After the birth of the two children, Mr Towungana later abandoned Ms Sibanda, citing concerns over his image as a pastor. Ms Sibanda then approached the maintenance court, which issued a default judgment against Mr Towungana after he failed to appear in court. The Victoria Falls Magistrate’s Court ordered him to pay US$300 per month in maintenance for the two children, starting from 31 December 2024. The payments were to be deposited into Ms Sibanda’s EcoCash account until the children turn 18 or until the order is reviewed or discharged by a competent court.
Through his lawyer, Mr Elvis Mashindi of Mashindi and Associates, Mr Towungana applied for a rescission of the judgment, arguing that the children were legally not his, as their birth certificates bore Mr Khawulani Ncube’s name, making him the legal father.
In her court submission, Ms Sibanda stated that Mr Towungana was her pastor and that they attended the same church. She explained how he misled her into destroying her marriage before later abandoning her.
“At the time I got to know him, my husband and I had a problem, and we sought prayers. We had been together for eight years when we started attending his church. After my husband left me, Mr Towungana invited me for counselling and told me my husband had a fertility issue, which was why we had no children.
“He proposed a relationship and slept with me. I got pregnant, and when I informed him, he said he already knew my husband had a problem and assured me he would give me children. We agreed to keep silent for five years to protect his dignity as a pastor, and during that time, I got pregnant again,” said Ms Sibanda.
She further stated that for four years, her first child did not have a birth certificate. When she sought Mr Towungana’s advice, he instructed her to register the child using her husband’s name. He allegedly promised to marry her and even offered to pay off her husband.
“I moved out of Khawulani’s house in August 2024. I told Mr Towungana that I was afraid my husband would eventually discover the truth and harm me. He advised me to relocate to the rural areas, promising to follow later.
“However, he later told me he had engaged a lawyer and would no longer communicate with me. I then approached the court for maintenance, and an order was granted. He paid for one month before applying for a rescission order,” said Ms Sibanda.
Through his lawyer, Mr Towungana argued that Ms Sibanda had committed a criminal offence by lying to the Registrar under Section 27 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act. He sought to have the maintenance order overturned under Order 30 of the Magistrates’ Court Rules 2019.
However, the court dismissed his application for rescission, stating that the case highlighted Mr Towungana’s lack of moral integrity as a pastor. The magistrate noted that Mr Towungana was accused of a serious case of adultery with a married congregant, resulting in two children who were now the subject of the maintenance dispute.
“The application is dismissed. However, since the applicant is denying paternity, the maintenance order will remain in place in the interim to ensure the children are not unduly prejudiced pending the outcome of paternity tests. These tests must be conducted within three months,” ruled the magistrate.
The case is set to return to court on 7 May.
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