…as $39 176 (USD) worth American trip blown off, remains a pie in the sky
News of the South HARARE – A splinter group from the Johannes Ndanga-led Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) running under the banner ‘ACCZ Original 2009’ has hit hard times as some bishops who constitute the break-away are set to appear before a parliamentary committee it has emerged.
written and attach petition letters addressed to their former boss archbishop Johanes Ndanga, parliamentary portfolio committee responsible for churches and the responsible minister of National Housing, appealing for their intervention urgently to alleged International trips and land scams involving their organisation’s executives, as the duped churches, faced damascene of various congregants.
The letter which was addressed to Ndanga, which this reporter sneaked, had the bishops of the ACCZ who had their congregants money duped raised red flags as they exposed the splinter group top executive of swindling huge amounts of money promising them to facilitate a government to government, churches exchange programme which saw indigenous churches benefiting from the trips to America and later on Israel.
Part of the letter to Bishop Ndanga reads, “We write this letter to kindly seek your assistance since we have been unsuspectedly swindled our monies by ‘ACCZ Original 2009’, on condition that you assist us to bring back our money, we will re-join your organisation since we are faced with a challenge by our congregants complaining about misuse of funds meant for trips to both America and Israel respectively.
The letter continues, “Initially, we were lured to believe that the trips were genuine and made to engage the American Embassy’s department of immigration for visa applications and processing being facilitated by one of our executive member from ACCZ Original 2009, Barnabas Manongwa of which ninety-percent of us passed the interviews whilst others failed to meet the requirements.
“Breakdown and cost of the money collected from our churches were said to be meant for group visa ($12), administration ($10), application fee ($30), visa payment $160 and assurance fee ($260), totalising to $472 (USD in currency) times 83-bishops to give us $39 176 USD
“As stranded bishops, we have made frantic efforts to locate executive members of ACCZ Original through its representative treasure, Manongwa and the New Destiny Fellowship’s representative chairman named Dr Zifungo who is said to be of no fixed aboard, hence more than 80 bishops, we are suffering and kindly request for your intervention in helping us to retain the money and locate the whereabouts of the said culprits donning in white garments purporting to be God-fearing characters, but however, the trips remain pies in the sky,” said a bishop who chose to remain unanimously.
Contacted for comment, the organisation’s ACCZ Original 2009 chief registrar, Bishop Vurayayi Matsveru confirmed that there was a trip organised for bishops in partnership with the New Destiny Fellowship and were unsuspectedly duped the money by one of their organisation’s treasure, Barnabas Manongwa and Dr Zifungo who is allegedly believed to be on the run since receiving the proceeds and revelation on suspicion by bishops.
Matsveru said, “Yes I can confirm our organisation being involved in such skirmishes, but however on condition of a partnership between our organisation ACCZ Original 2009 and the one New Destiny Fellowships were we expected our affiliate bishops, apostles and prophets were supposed to go for a spiritual trip to America just after elections and later on to Israel for the same cause of which the bishops later on realised that some of our executive members have unsuspectingly been in non-existent deal hence it has proven a futile exercise in our endeavour to locate some of our guys and the those representing New Destiny Fellowship members.
“Our president , Bishop Erizari Jaramba had also fallen victim to that effect and we will be reporting the matter to the police so that everyone who was involved in the deal will be brought to the book and face the wrath of the law, hence on some victims claims and threats to withdraw from affiliating under our organisation(ACCZ original 2009) and re-join Ndanga’s organisation(ACCZ) is an unfortunate and betrayal decision to our organisation though it is their right, freedom and choice as enshrined in our country’s constitution.
“More than 83-bishops were duped and as an organisation, it’s unfortunate that we do not have the capacity to pay back the money since everything was paid in US-dollar hard cash currency and we however appeal to everyone who can help us with the whereabouts of some of our executive members and the one Dr Zifungo,” Matsveru remarks.
Archbishop Johanes Ndanga scoffed on the appeal by the bishops who constituted the break-away saying they were his lost sons and daughters.
“I have an obligation to welcome them to ACCZ organisation, but they should not give me conditions on re-joining the organisation, every bishop who had fallen victim should forward his or her complaints and receipts attached to an affidavit so that assistance will be rendered with verified evidence and the matter be reported to the responsible authorities to deal with it”
Ndanga added that, “As a moderator of Apostolic and Zion indigenous churches, I am prepared to fight for their cause and make sure justice is served through following legal and constitutional means so that transparency will prevail and truth will be availed.
“Some of these bishops who give a right hand in corrupting other fellow bishops I’ve once worked with them and then I confronted them with cases related to these and other residential stand scams they committed, they ran away and I have also witnessed that duping others has become their normal duty instead of shepherding and serving lost souls into the church, hence I believe the elements of ACCZ Original 2009 are full of religious copycats who tried to form an organisation and later on reveal their true colours after the so-called breakaway,” Ndanga retorts.
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