Business tycoon and Seventh Day Adventist Church elder Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s use of financial muscle in the church has divided the institution into factions.
Tagwirei is splashing money sponsoring the SDA church in order to maintain his grip on power. He is also said to be positioning his people and pastors into influential positions, making them proxies for his agendas. Some of the projects he is sponsoring include a multimillion state-of-the-art Harare City Centre Church (HCCC) in the CBD, which is still under construction.
Sources from the SDA HCCC branch indicated that Tagwirei directly pays a cabal of ‘his’ pastors and elders and offers them huge irresistible benefits that include but are not limited to top-of-the-range vehicles and house loans.
“He is very untouchable. He acts like a demi-god in the church, making and declaring decisions on behalf of the whole church. He is basically cultivating the culture of corruption and immoral behaviour in the church. What worries us right now is the fact that the church leaders no longer have capacity to rebuke or censure him because they are benefiting.
“Imagine, several allegations of adultery, corruption and using the church for money laundering and illicit financing have been brought to the attention of the church leaders but they turn a deaf ear and blind eye to all of that. I think he should just take his pastors form their own church and leave God’s church alone.”
This has now created two camps in the church, those who are pro-Tagwirei and a group of church elders who are resistant to his influence.
Notable church members who are against Tagwirei’s influence are Thabani Mpofu who is a well-respected SDA elder and top constitutional lawyer, Pastor and Chaplin Munyaradzi Savanhu, Gweru-based pastor Tapiwa Chinyavanhu and top human rights lawyer who is also a member of the SDA church Paidamoyo Saurombe.
Tagwirei’s camp comprises of several Pastors that include Blessing Nyahuma who is in the controversial businessman’s inner circle and an adviser. Others under Tagwirei’s wing include his Personal Assistant, Everton Mlalazi, Obey Chimuka, Innocent Mugwisi, Gumbotshuma, Simon Dzete, Blessing Nyahuma and Brian Moyo whose wife Nyarai Moyo owns the flamboyant Yanaya restaurant in Harare.
Another HCCC elder identified as Gumbochuma is also a close ally of Tagwirei. His wife runs a company called Platinum Catering which provides food at all Tagwirei events, including funerals, parties and weddings.
Famous Pastor and musician Aaron Rusukira is also a close ally of Tagwirei. The “Mwanangu” singer is also being paid monthly allowances by Tagwirei. Rusukira, a medical doctor by profession, is also believed to be behind the Pastors for Economic Development (Pastors4ED) movement.
Source| Nehanda Radio
