President Emmerson Mnangagwa's special envoy and self-proclaimed prophet Uebert Angel is being accused of engineering a smear campaign to extort money from a prominent church leader.
Tension has been brewing between Tabernacle of Grace Church leader and founder Apostle Batsirai Java and Angel in the past weeks, culminating in the pulling down of the former's Facebook pages by men believed to be linked to Mnangagwa's ambassador to America and the United Kingdom.
So huge was the tension that Java was threatened with "extermination" by Angel's allies, who have also been boasting that they cannot be arrested because of their boss's close links to Mnangagwa.
They claim that Angel is the fourth most powerful man in Zimbabwe.
The plot is said to involve Tinashe Exevier Mutamiri, also known as Prof Ex, who runs the Christian blog.
Mutamiri last week attacked Java for cursing on the pulpit whoever pulled down his church's Facebook account.
The plot involved paying women to testify claiming they had been sexually abused by Java, recording them and ordering the Tabernacle of Grace Church founder to pay US$50 000 for the audio recordings not to be released.
Several efforts to quell the escalating war, including invoking Mnangagwa's son, Emmerson Junior, and some high-ranking government officials in the mediation process between the two church leaders faltered, with Angel's camp unrelenting in their onslaught on Java after he refused to pay "for what I have not done".
The war started when disgraced Light World Ministries leader Jacob Dube, known as Jay Israel, visited Java and warned him that Angel was not happy with him and warned that he would be in trouble unless he publicly apologised to him.
Israel's unsolicited visit came after some men, who claimed to have been sent by Angel approached one of Java's liutenants, Deacon Robert Chikombera and told him that Angel was not happy because Java attacked him at a prophetic meeting held last year.
The emissary disclosed that Angel was also of the view that Java was behind the challenges his church in Zimbabwe was facing in reference to his dwindling followers.
The aide said Angel was also of the view that Java was sponsoring journalists to write negative stories about him.
When Israel visited Java he disclosed that Angel wanted a public apology for Proff Ex to stop the imminent attack, claiming "everything was being done around Proff Ex."
"It was Israel who proposed the US$50 000 figure," a well-placed source said.
"He gave Apostle Java a deadline to pay or risk having Proff Ex release the damning videos."
Apostle Java is said to have flatly refused to give the money claiming that he never sexually abused anyone, and he could not pay for something that he did not do.
"This infuriated Israel."
After Java refused to pay, Israel went around several publications trying to influence them to smear him, but the publications released damning reports exposing his attempt to extort Java.
This forced him to release a vague statement distancing himself from allegations he did not disclose in the statement.
He, however, supported Angel, saying he was "a figure of harmony actively engaged in fostering unity among the Christians and spreading the pure gospel of Jesus Christ."
Angel himself is said to have visited Java at his home in the company of so-called prophet Passion Java a fortnight ago to try to give an impression that he wanted peace after realising the matter was fast getting out of control.
Angel disclosed his hatred of Java through calls he made to allies and relatives of the Tabernacle of Grace founder, including instructing Israel to lie that a robbery case 5312338 reported at Marlborough Police Station that took place at Java's place in 2022 was a misunderstanding between Java and a lover he identified as Nyasha, who is alleged to be the ambassador's girlfriend.
He also claimed that instead of fighting him, Java was supposed to be grateful because he is the one protecting him since he was not a member of Zanu PF.
"He is not known in Zanu PF, if I say he has done this and that to me, he will be in trouble immediately," Angel said.
In some audios from a defector from Angel's camp, it is said "Israel likes money too much and Proff Ex is very evil," and was currently being paid huge money to pay witnesses in SA to drop rape and money laundering charges against Shephard Bushiri so that he is removed from Interpol wanted list.
"Jay Israel has his own problems, he likes money, and he will not deny if you call him," Angel disclosed.
An Angel defector said: "Proff Ex is very evil; he is extremely evil. He has brought down many partners of Jeremiah Omoto."
Proff Ex has already posted on Facebook that one of the witnesses in Bushiri's case had suddenly withdrawn her charges claiming she was paid to bring down the Malawian preacher.
Recently, Angel allegedly dragged Vice-President Kembo Mohadi to Malawi to meet Bushiri and seek his protection from Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera.
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Proff Ex is also doing the same for Angel, who is facing an investigation by the British government over many cases.
Java last week cursed one Nyamayaro, without giving the full name, for pulling down his Facebook pages, and three days later, one Stewart Nyamayaro, through Chasi, Maguwudze Legal Practitioners, who are also Angel's lawyers, wrote to him demanding a retraction.
The Facebook pages were pulled down soon after pictures of Angel with Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa went viral.
Java refused to comment saying: "I don't want to be dragged into that."
Proff Ex denied accusations that he was involved in the plot, saying: "I have never been paid by Prophet Angel nor do I have any affiliation with him."
He did not respond to a follow up question on why he had never attacked Angel or Bushiri as he does with other charismatic church leaders.
In an interview, Angel's aide, Felix Chikase said it was the first time he heard of such information.
"What I know is that the Prophet does not do these kinds of deals. It's actually my first time hearing it from you," Chikase told The Standard yesterday evening.
No comment could be obtained from Israel.
Source: The Standard
