Zimre Park, Zimbabwe – A prominent pastor from the Mugodhi Apostolic Church, Tichawona Zunzanyika (46), claims he was subjected to a violent assault and coerced into a false confession on Tuesday in Zimre Park. Zunzanyika alleges the incident was a calculated attempt to discredit him as a “fake prophet.”
According to Zunzanyika, the attack was carried out by Tafadzwa Chidawa, known as Detective Kedha, and his accomplice, Tafadzwa Chapomba. He states that the duo recorded a video during the ordeal, forcing him to admit to being a fraudulent prophet. This video, notably bearing a “Matrix” watermark, was subsequently circulated across various social media platforms associated with the BOANERGES Apostolic Faith Church.
Zunzanyika maintains that his “confession” was made under duress, solely to prevent further physical harm from his assailants, who he claims explicitly instructed him to make the incriminating statement.
This incident follows a previous event last month where Zunzanyika was invited to a prayer meeting in Bulawayo by the BOANERGES leadership. During this gathering, he publicly accused Vimbai Bhosha, a priest within the BOANERGES church, of practicing witchcraft and using charms against young church members. Zunzanyika further claimed to have removed a goblin and a “hairy object” from Bhosha’s bedroom, an act he performed in front of approximately 50 church leaders from Matabeleland province.
In an interview with H-Metro, Zunzanyika, who resides in Macheke, expressed his belief that Chidawa and Chapomba, a BOANERGES church member, orchestrated the assault as part of a scheme to facilitate the lifting of Bhosha’s suspension. He suggests their objective was to expose him as a false prophet, thereby undermining his accusations against Bhosha.
Recounting the beginning of his ordeal, Zunzanyika stated, “They deceived me into believing they had a sick person they wanted me to pray for.” He continued, “Upon meeting them, they led me to a house where they insisted I prophesy over a person hidden under a blanket. When I declared that the individual was not sick, they revealed they were members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and threatened me with violence if I refused to fake the prophecies on camera.”
Zunzanyika detailed how Chidawa and Chapomba took turns assaulting him while others filmed the incident. He added, “They even warned me against reporting the assault, stating there would be unspecified repercussions.” He further claims that an edited version of the video was later shared, falsely asserting it exposed him as a fraud responsible for Priest Bhosha’s suspension.
In response to the allegations, Chapomba denied any involvement in the assault, stating, “I was not present during the incident and am unaware of any assault.” Chidawa could not be reached for comment, though he reportedly appears in the video discussing how the “Matrix” operation, through his “detectives,” exposed Zunzanyika.
Chamunorwa Chigombe, the secretary general of BOANERGES, confirmed that Chapomba and Chidawa acted contrary to church protocol by publishing the video without authorization. He emphasized that Priest Bhosha remains suspended, irrespective of the video’s intent to clear his name.
Chigombe stated, “We were shocked to witness a video recorded under these dubious circumstances posted on our church’s social media platforms.” He further clarified, “The intention to exonerate Priest Bhosha does not hold, as we have received 29 complaints against him. This led the leadership to engage Zunzanyika to conduct a cleansing ceremony for a troubled 16-year-old girl. Fifty leaders from Bulawayo and our headquarters were satisfied with the spiritual cleansing performed by Zunzanyika, which resulted in the girl’s deliverance. Investigations are ongoing, and the threats captured in the video cannot be used to absolve Priest Bhosha at this time.”
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