APOSTOLIC Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president Johannes Ndanga yesterday nailed Johanne Masowe eChishanu apostolic sect leader Ishmael Chokurongerwa in the latter’s ongoing public violence trial saying the sect leader was the one who had incited his followers to engage in violence.
BY NQOBILE NKIWANE
Ndanga told Harare magistrate Milton Serima that Chokurongerwa — popularly known as Madzibaba Ishmael — was the one who started the song Humambo Wemapfumo Neropa (The Kingdom of Spears and Blood), which sent his followers into a fit of rage before they started attacking ACCZ officials, police officers and journalists.
“I have no reason to lie against him, he was the first to sing the song and the other church members joined in,” Ndanga told the court.
Ndanga refuted claims by Madzibaba Ishmael’s lawyer Tawanda Takaindisa that he was making false claims against the accused because he had refused to support his bid to get into politics.
He said the matter was purely non-political because he did not pursue any political ambitions since the formation of the ACCZ.
“I indicated that I was not interested in being voted in as a councillor or to hold any other political position since the formation of the ACCZ,” he said.
“Besides, I lead more than 700 churches and there was no reason for me to talk to a church with only one shrine if I had political motives.”
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The ACCZ president had a brief nasty exchange with Takaindisa after the latter had asked him if he has a hearing problem after denying something he had said earlier.
“I don’t have any hearing problems. Maybe you are the one with the problem,” he said.
Madzibaba Ishmael was arrested on January 2 this year after being on the run from May 30, 2014.
The State alleges that on May 30 last year, Ndanga and an ACCZ delegation in the company of 26 police officers went tothe church’s shrine to address the gathering over issues of child abuse.
It is alleged when Ndanga began reading out a document, the gathering started singing before Chokurongerwa challenged him to speak in Shona and not in English.
Ndanga is alleged to have ordered the police to arrest Chokurongerwa accusing him of interjecting his speech.
Chokurongerwa allegedly started singing Umambo Hwemapfumo Neropa after which Ndanga’s delegation, police officers and journalists were severely assaulted.
Eleven members from Chokurongerwa’s church were last November slapped with a five-year jail term each for the same offence.
