Emmanuel makandiwa
Emmanuel Makandiwa | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Born | December 25, 1977 |
| Religion | Christianity (Pentecostalism) |
| Spouse | Ruth Makandiwa (née Makawa; m. 2002) |
| Children | 5 |
| Denomination | United Family International Church |
| Education | Diploma in Theology, Living Waters Theological Seminary, Harare (2002) |
| Known for | Founder of UFIC; faith healing claims; televangelist |
| Founder of | United Family International Church (UFIC) |
| Senior posting | |
| Website | emmanuelmakandiwa |
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Emmanuel Makandiwa (born 25 December 1977) is a Zimbabwean Pentecostal pastor and televangelist. He is the founder and senior pastor of the United Family International Church (UFIC), established in 2010, which is among the largest Pentecostal congregations in Zimbabwe. Some third-party biographical sources have referred to him by the name Shingirai Chirume, though this has not been confirmed by Makandiwa himself.[1]
Makandiwa is a prominent and controversial figure in Zimbabwean public life. He is known for conducting large public services at which he claims to perform miraculous healings, and for making prophecies on political and national matters. His ministry has drawn both a large following and sustained criticism, including accusations of fraud, a civil lawsuit over alleged false prophecies, and controversy over statements on the COVID-19 pandemic and flat Earth claims.[1][2]
Early life and education
Emmanuel Makandiwa was born on 25 December 1977 in Muzarabani, a rural district in Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe. He was raised in a farming family; his parents cultivated cotton, grain, and other crops. Both parents were elders in the local Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM) church.[3]
He attended Zengeza High School in Chitungwiza for his secondary education, after which he returned to Muzarabani to assist his family on the farm. In 2000, he enrolled at the AFM's Living Waters Theological Seminary in Harare, graduating with a Diploma in Theology in 2002. That same year, he married Ruth Makawa.[4]
Career in the Apostolic Faith Mission
After graduating, Makandiwa was assigned by the AFM pastoral board to serve as an assistant pastor in Matabeleland, under Reverend Aspher Madziyire, who later became president of the AFM. He subsequently pastored an assembly in Shangani, was relocated to How Mine Assembly in 2004, and later transferred to a Chitungwiza assembly.[5]
While at the Chitungwiza assembly, Makandiwa began holding interdenominational midday gatherings in the Harare central business district. These grew in attendance and developed into a separate interdenominational ministry operating alongside his AFM duties. The AFM executive subsequently gave him a choice between remaining with the AFM or focusing solely on the new ministry. He resigned from the AFM in 2008 to pursue what would become UFIC.[1]
United Family International Church
Founding
Makandiwa founded the United Family International Church (UFIC) as an interdenominational ministry in 2008. In 2010, he formally constituted it as a standalone church under its present name.[1] The church is co-led by his wife Ruth Makandiwa, who oversees a women's ministry and the church's welfare arm, Agape Family Care.[3]
UFIC attracted significant media attention in its early years, largely due to Makandiwa's public healing services. In April 2012, then-Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi described him as a "tourist attraction" in reference to the crowds his services drew. In mid-2012, Kubatana.net, a Zimbabwean civic platform, included him in a public poll listing of 50 Most Influential Africans, and the pan-African publication New African listed him among 100 influential Africans.[4]
Church facilities
In 2011, Makandiwa acquired land in Chitungwiza with plans to construct a large church auditorium, referred to as the UFIC Chitungwiza Basilica, reportedly designed to hold up to 60,000 people. Construction encountered delays due to the wetland nature of the site and disputes with some residents over the land. Local authorities temporarily halted work; construction resumed after approval was granted in 2015.[6]
Broadcasting and media
In September 2014, Makandiwa and his wife launched Christ TV, a free-to-air Christian television channel broadcast across parts of Africa. UFIC also distributes content through a YouTube channel and a mobile application called Orel Plus. In March 2012, UFIC received a licence to publish a monthly magazine titled The Family.[4][5]
Reach
UFIC has established congregations in Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa in addition to multiple locations in Zimbabwe. The church has reported weekly attendance figures of over 70,000, though these figures are self-reported and have not been independently verified.[1]
Business interests
Makandiwa has been reported to have various commercial interests. As of February 2014, he reportedly held a controlling stake in Radar Holdings (Private) Limited, a Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed company, with UFIC's finance director also serving as Radar's managing director at the time.[1] He has also been reported to hold a stake in Ster-Kinekor's cinema franchise operations in Zimbabwe and Zambia, and disclosed in October 2014 that he had investments on the London Stock Exchange.[1]
In August 2014, reports indicated that Makandiwa had taken over a gold milling plant in Mutawatawa from a Chinese firm, Ming Chang. A UFIC spokesperson denied that Makandiwa owned any gold mine.[1]
Public prophecies
Makandiwa has made a number of public statements framed as prophecies regarding political and national events in Zimbabwe. He claimed to have foreseen the appearance of then-Major General Sibusiso Moyo in military uniform on television during Zimbabwe's November 2017 military intervention, and to have warned of a threat to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.[7] In August 2020, he claimed to have predicted the use of hydroxychloroquine in relation to COVID-19 in a sermon in February 2020, prior to widespread scientific reporting on the drug.[2]
These claims have not been independently verified and have been disputed by critics who argue the prophecies were vague or made after the events in question.
Controversies
Faith healing claims
Makandiwa conducts public healing services at which he claims to heal physical conditions including leg length discrepancy, HIV infection, and other ailments. These claims have been disputed by medical professionals and critics, who have called for evidence-based scrutiny of the reported healings.[1]
In November 2012, a woman from Chitungwiza claimed to have conceived and delivered a baby within three days following prayers at a UFIC service. The claim attracted extensive media coverage and scepticism.[1]
Accusations of using ritual charms (2014)
In February 2014, a group of Ghanaian pastors publicly accused Makandiwa of using ritual charms to stage his miracles, and stated they intended to report the matter to then-President Robert Mugabe with a view to having UFIC banned. Leo Mugabe, a nephew of Robert Mugabe, also made public statements supporting these claims, alleging that Makandiwa had been unable to heal his mother, Bridget Mugabe, who had been in a coma. A South African pastor similarly alleged that Makandiwa and fellow Zimbabwean religious figure Uebert Angel had received charms from a Ghanaian pastor. Makandiwa denied all these allegations.[1][2]
Civil lawsuit (2017)
In August 2017, former congregants Blessing and Upenyu Mashangwa, proprietors of a business called Oceane Perfumes, filed a civil claim against Makandiwa and his wife for US$6.5 million. The claimants alleged they had suffered financial loss after acting on what they described as false prophecies. Makandiwa applied to have the case dismissed on the basis that religious prophecy was not a matter for secular courts to adjudicate.[1]
Mass wedding controversy (2014)
In November 2014, Makandiwa organised a large-scale mass wedding ceremony for congregants. The event was criticised as contravening a government directive discouraging such ceremonies, which authorities said were being used by foreign nationals to obtain Zimbabwean citizenship through marriages of convenience. The event also drew objections from some traditionalists who considered it inappropriate to hold weddings in November.[2]
COVID-19 vaccine statements (2021)
In 2021, Makandiwa made public statements that were widely interpreted as casting doubt on the safety or efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. He subsequently reversed his position and publicly encouraged his congregation to receive vaccination.[8]
Flat Earth claim (2025)
In July 2025, Makandiwa publicly asserted during a church service that the Earth is flat. The statements were widely reported and generated debate in Zimbabwe and beyond.[9]
Million dollar challenge
At an undisclosed date, Makandiwa issued a public challenge offering a US$1 million reward to any prophet, traditional healer, or spiritualist who could correctly identify the contents of his pocket during a designated Sunday church service. He stated publicly that he did not currently possess the sum and would need to borrow it should someone succeed. The challenge was extended to participants from Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, and generated widespread commentary and debate in Zimbabwean religious and media circles.[10]
Personal life
Makandiwa is married to Ruth Makandiwa (née Makawa), whom he married in 2002 before entering full-time ministry. The couple have five children together. Ruth Makandiwa is described as a co-founder of UFIC and oversees the church's women's ministry and charitable activities.[3]
See also
- United Family International Church
- Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe
- Uebert Angel
- Walter Magaya
- Pentecostalism in Africa
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "Emmanuel Makandiwa". Pindula. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Emmanuel Makandiwa Biography". Zimbabwe Profiles. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa: Biography, Age, Family Life & Net Worth". All Pastors. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Emmanuel Makandiwa". Religion in Zimbabwe. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Biography of Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa". OMHBG. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Biography of Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa". GHPraise. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "The True Life Story of Emmanuel Makandiwa". Gambakwe Media. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Makandiwa rows back from vaccine conspiracy, urges followers to get jabbed". ZimLive. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Video: "The Earth is Flat," Claims Emmanuel Makandiwa". Pindula News. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ↑ "Makandiwa's US$1 Million Challenge Sparks Controversy". The Zimbabwe Mail. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
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