adminpredominantly Christian and the north, which is wholly Islamic.
The issue now is if a country has been divided into two what chances are there that it would not further be divided into smaller portions along ethnic lines especially in the Christian north.
This was the thrust of a documentary screened on SABC1 last week. It was quite an interesting debate with experts airing their views on the vast African country – Sudan which was torn for years by civil strife. But more important to the clashes is the issue of resources.
Southern Sudan is rich in oil although it was disfavoured in terms of development by the north that had control of the oil deposits over the years. It is feared that if the smaller minorities in the south do not unite as one chances are the region would further disintegrate due to ethnic clashes.
And speaking of beliefs, in my last opinion piece I critiqued what I viewed as bizarre healing session at Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International. I got overwhelming responses including those that hurled abuses and obscenities at me. I shudder to think what has gone wrong with Christian faith nowadays. Should the media keep quiet when scandals are happening in churches?
But one thing is for sure, people fear what they don’t understand and as such the media has a duty to educate people. I think the first thing to do is to understand Makandiwa’s background because like the NatGeo channel says “when you analyse, you investigate, and when you investigate you question, when you question you want to know when you know, you understand.”
The first question to ask is who is Makandiwa? So far what is known is that he pulled out from AFM but the question is why did he leave AFM? Whatever it is I hope it wasn’t about resources as what happened in Sudan.
The responses I got were 50-50 with those against my piece and those in support of the article and below are randomly selected views from readers.
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Quite bizarre, can someone tell me if this was really true prophecy or was an act?. – Phillip Chokwa.
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Piece of trash from Jonathan. – Bachokwadi.
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The word of God says miracles pursue those who believe in Jesus Christ. Things are up side down and those who believe in people are pursuing miracles. Not that I have anything against the likes of Prophet Makandiwa for who am I to judge God’s people but my point is our hunger for miracles should match our hunger and thirst for righteousness and holiness. If we hunger for miracles alone we may as well get them from the devil and realise it too late. Let’s watch and pray. – Muvhangeri.
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1 Corinthians 2:14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness until him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” – Blessed Believer.
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True I watched that one. That’s not prophecy. Prophecy is for edification in whatever means, not to shame a person. Shame is traumatic. Imagine what’s going on in that woman’s marital life. That’s traumatic not healing. If God is using him that way I pray God should revise His mode of operation with the Prophet. – Maporofita Aya.
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You severely need help. Get a life and write on other pertinent issues than scribbling like a buffoon. – TJ.
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Thieves and con artists, this is not the culture we should be importing from the States. Look how quickly these people rise from nothing to driving fancy cars and wearing fancy clothes. God has a special place for them and it’s not next to them. Never has a single world event these so-called evangelical prophets prophesied come true. They are scare-mongers who prey on the gullible worshippers and have no place in our country. – Joshua.
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It’s disputable whether Makandiwa actually does perform miracles or not. His followers will insist he does but if we do accept that he does then the question is: “Where does he get his power?” Some claim it is from God Almighty, and some will claim it’s from the other side of the supernatural spectrum. We hope it’s the former. – Reggeamatic.
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Wakamboona kupi munhu achi nurture into a prophet sezvinotaura Makandiwa kuti akadzidziswa kuporofita nemunhu wekuGhana. You are born a prophet and not taught to be one. – Kumh.
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Touch not my anointed ones, is what the Holy Bible says, on whose authority are you criticising the man of God? Prophet Makandiwa, non-believers or shall l say shallow believers who do not understand the works of the spirit or the power of God should just keep quiet and let us believers follow the Prophet for he was sent to us by God, unozvitsagira kutukwa naMwari. – NaJesu Tinoenda Kure.
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Jonathan usatyiswa nevanhu, people don’t dare speak the truth about Makandiwa because to them he is the man of the moment akaputirwa. Like you rightly said the procedure is the same kwamadzibaba, kun’anga, kwaChris, kwaJoshua and now kwaMaka-ndiwa. It’s a matter of time how many maporofita akanetsa even maevangelist?
Just think of it kukaita muporofita anonzi anoona church yake inozara nevanhu. The same people will fill church yaanyone anonzi anoona which is what’s happening with Makandiwa. – Emjay.
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I don’t know whether it’s right for prophets to threaten people with death. Why not just prophesy, heal and save souls. – JC, Harare.
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Kwadzinorohwa matumbu . . . Regai hako Jonathan zvikurirane. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:9. Manyepo aSatan ayo. – Willie Raphael.
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Jonathan you think you are the only one who is more enlightened than all the 40 000 plus people who come to seek deliverance? Why judge the prophet on only one incident? PaCity Sports Centre padhuze enda undoonawo zviri kuitika, you definitely need deliverance. Makandiwa continue the good work of God, I love you man of God. – Edwin.
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The Bible says “Makaita zvose izvi ndikaramba ndinyerere mukati ndakafanana nemi”. My brother, you may seem smarter than all the dumb Christians, but it’s only one day. Only one day, The one seated on the high throne when He will descend on you. Anodzikisa machinda kubva munzvimbo dzakakwirira achisimudza marombe . . . a shame we all know you, we will see how far you will go. But remember kangoma kana koririsa ziva kuti kode kudashuka . . . make the noise. We are watching. – Igweress.
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These are the Last Days and many false prophets will arise among man, be sober and vigilant. – Blessing.
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Prophecy should not shame people. Prophecy should build people. To shame people is to traumatise and dehumanise them. Prophecy builds up and protects the norms of any given community. We really need therapists to provide help to those victims of shame. Makandiwa is young and only a diploma in Theology holder. Yes, he may possess the gift, I don’t doubt that but there is need for discernment and need for maturity. Of course, he is young in terms of age, but he needs ministerial and experience as a Prophet. I respect him as a fellow pastor, colleague but the shaming of people is wrong. I believe in therapy/healing. He needs the other expertise. He is a prophet but may not have the gift befitting the kind of ministry he is into. – Serious Kurembera.
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Mbiriyamveka, whatever that means is such a lunatic, if this is what you call journalism then the profession has gone to the dogs. What’s bizarre about a simple prophetic session? You have lost not only your brains but the essence of criticism. Which true prophets are you going to believe under the sun, everyone who is raised by God is false, maybe including your mother that means you are also a false child. Learn to respect other people’s lives no one is being coerced as you would want us all to believe. I advise you should not share your shallow mind and sheer lack of wisdom and knowledge about the Bible with the nation. You desperately need great deliverance from the same prophet you are denouncing. – Peter K.
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Iwe Jonathan unotombonamatawo here? Ndochekutanga vamwe vese vacommentor munonamatawo futi here? Kana mashaya zvekunyora regai nekuti rimwe zuva uchademba. Iwe hausi kana pastor and I doubt kunamata kwako. Kana waifunga kuti vanodonhedzwa nereport yako wakarasika ndimi munoita tienderere mberi! Nyora ngano shamwari kana zvakunetsa kwete kunyora nezvechurch zvausingazivi! Utendeuke futi Jesu wodzoka! – UFI Forever!
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Taurai nyaya dzekuchurch kwenyu, Makandiwa Makandiwa kudii kwacho, asi kwenyu hakuna zviri kuitikako kani? – Evolution.
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You don’t know that Makandiwa indirectly charges exorbitantly for his so-called saintly works through nguva yezvipo mabin ozara nemaUS$ zvirema zvinongooneka nguva yehealing chete thereafter they disappear while his promises of riches to his flocks remain unfulfilled. – Elijah.
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Thanks a lot for that brilliant piece which was so intelligently written. I watched the same show on Saturday and was also left confused and bewildered about all this new found hype about television evangelists as if there is anything new at all. I actually wonder what the point is in screening these shows apart from perhaps public broadcasters wanting to cash in on the hottest social trends.
For the most part the stage management was excellent and made for good Saturday night entertainment after the exhilarating game. And it is entertainment as you aptly called it. It’s all right for pastors to promote their own churches and grow numbers but it is downright wrong to be allowed to publicly trash other religious persuasions. What was that about trashing the rosary and associating it with voodoo?
People love to hate Catholicism but it is disrespectful to do that. It’s best to write a letter to the Pope in Rome cursing him out and the more than 1,5 billion “lost” followers. That was wrong and should not be allowed to happen.
As much as I am a Christian I believe Zimbabwe is a not a Christian country and worse should not be turned into a de facto Pentecostal state. Every citizen in this country has a right to choose their own religion without someone seeking to shove a particular brand of faith down our throats.
I conclude, did you hear that this so-called prophet can prophesy about people’s underwear especially women’s? For some reason he seems particularly disturbed if someone comes near him for a blessing while adorning a G-string. It is said the man of God will tell whoever it is to own up and depart or else his spirit will be disturbed. So please mind what you wear if you ever need a blessing and cannot pray for your own soul and find yourself drifting along there for the man of God’s special touch.
And also on one such session on ZBCTV I saw him claim to raise a dead child. I think what disturbs me more is not so much the prophet’s actions and claims as indeed he may possess all these magical powers but the fact that grown-up people actually believe all that stuff and worship the ground these evangelists tread on. – Miriam.
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