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Makandiwa speaks on ‘SA move’

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UNITED Families International Church (UFIC) leader Emmanuel Makandiwa has dismissed speculative reports that he had acquired a permanent South African residence permit and relocated to that country.

UNITED Families International Church (UFIC) leader Emmanuel Makandiwa has dismissed speculative reports that he had acquired a permanent South African residence permit and relocated to that country.

BY XOLISANI NCUBE

Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa
Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa

UFIC spokesperson Prime Kufa yesterday told NewsDay that the reports, which have gone viral on social media platforms, were false.

“He (Makandiwa) last went outside the country, I think, in May, he is in Zimbabwe and has no plans of leaving the country. We have received numerous calls and enquiries regarding that, but all we know, which is certain, is that he is based in Zimbabwe, he has been around since May without going out,” Kufa said.

The social media reports, which Kufa dismissed as fake, carried what appeared like a genuine South African residence permit form.

“These rumours have been circulating for a while now. At first it was alleged that he (Makandiwa) had relocated to South Africa and was flying from there every Tuesday and Sunday for church services. Now they have changed the story, they are saying he is now a permanent resident there. We suspect this is being done by our detractors, not one, but many,” Kufa said.

“If you look at the said forms, you will realise that they have varying dates. Some forms say he was born in 1990 while others state that he was born in 1977.”

Attempts to get a comment from South Africa’s Home Affairs director-general, Mkuseli Apleni, were unfruitful as his mobile phone went unanswered while a message sent to him had not been responded to at the time of going to print last night.

Makandiwa, who has a branch in South Africa, is also said to have other personal interests in that country.

With a stable economy and a rapidly growing Christian community, South Africa has become the hub of a new crop of charismatic preachers, who have found the country fertile for the expansion of their various ministries.

These include Shepherd Bushiri of the Enlightened Christian Gathering, who is originally from Malawi, and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s former wife, Locadia Karimatsenga, who has founded a new church, Nation of Glory Ministries.

Karimatsenga, a businesswoman, disappeared from the public limelight following her divorce with Tsvangirai a few years ago and maintained a low profile.

She only resurfaced recently in South Africa advertising her church crusade.