Online Reporter
Forward Nyanyiwa in CARLOW, Ireland
A CHITUNGWIZA prophet claims he has been inundated by appeals from Zimbabwean women, who have settled in the Diaspora, to help them break away from their husbands and partners.
Madzibaba Lloyd Katogo says many of the women, who have reached out to him, have recently settled in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.
He claims that since October last year, he has been contacted by more than 400 women from these locations to help them end their relationships with their husbands and partners.
These women either left their spouses back in Zimbabwe and don’t want them to follow or might be living with them in Europe but now want them go back home.
“It is actually shocking and rather feels odd. I have been getting these weird requests for prayers to dissolve marriages since late last year,” said Madzibaba Katogo.
“As of now, l can put it on record that the figure has reached 420 and we are still counting.”
He said his first case was in October last year.
A UK-based woman sought his prayers after advising him that she wanted to move out of her marriage because, according to her, she was being abused by her partner.
Madzibaba Katigu said after he successfully prayed for the woman, her husband left England and returned back home.
Since then, he claimed, he has been getting more women who all claimed to have been referred by his first client.
“A woman whom l had helped with prayers to relocate to England called me to help her with prayers saying that her husband was abusing her.
“I asked her what she really wanted and she told me that she did not want to get her husband arrested in a foreign land and she would be comfortable if there can be prayers to have him (to return to Zimbabwe).
“Since this was a person l had known for a long time, l instructed her to do some apostolic rites, using holy water (muteuro), while l prayed for her back here in Zimbabwe.
“After a time, the husband was the first to suggest he wanted to go back to Zimbabwe.”
He said he doesn’t support divorces and, on many occasions, he is turning himself into a “marriage counsellor of sorts.”
“I don’t support divorce, it’s not good for the children, family bonds and of all the cases l have attended to, l have counselled many women to rather seek prayers for harmony.
“Unfortunately, most of them don’t want to go that route, they just want annulment of marriages. I have turned myself into a marriage officer now.”
He added:
“These women don’t want to be seen as the first to have started the annulment, they play victim to a process that they will have triggered.”
A Zimbabwean woman in Scotland, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said while the issue appears odd, it is actually true and many Zimbabwean women were turning to Madzibaba Katigu.
“It’s happening and it’s very true.
“What people don’t know is that these men are mostly to blame because they carry with them their Zimbabwean mentality and mannerisms to Europe. “This is a different environment altogether.
“Most men cheat and still abuse their wives. They don’t want to work and feels disrespected if asked to wash dishes and do some school runs.
“They think it’s a woman’s role but here everyone is working. “So, most women, have resorted to distance themselves from their marriages.
“I nearly took that route but had to be counselled to save my marriage.”
There have been growing concerns over the number of broken marriages and relationships in the diaspora.
A number of contributing factors have been noted but it is believed that many Zimbabwean women are now abusing their partners once the couples settle down in the UK and Australia.
A BBC investigation last week revealed that most migrant women were faking domestic violence to seek asylum and force divorce in the UK.
Mathew Masinge