High Court judge Justice David Mangota has ruled that founder of the United Family International Church (Ufic) Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa must answer for making “false prophecies” to Harare couple Upenyu and Blessing Mashangwa. Justice Mangota dismissed Prophet Makandiwa’s application for an exception with costs and ruled that he had been properly sued. He also ruled that Makandiwa and his wife cannot hide from secular courts. The Mashangwas are demanding $6.5 million from the Makandiwa’s saying that they made significant losses because they believed in Makandiwa’s prophecy that their bank loan would be cancelled.
Said Justice Mangota:
It is evident, from the foregoing, that the plaintiffs and the defendants enjoyed very good social, and possibly spiritual, ties. That fact alone explains why the plaintiffs took the word of the defendants more seriously than any other member of the third defendant did.
The plaintiffs’ case in regard to the four claims is watertight. There is nothing which is vague and/or embarrassing in each of those claims. Their cause of action is clear, cogent and to the point. The claim falls neatly into the delict of fraud. They are neither frivolous nor vexatious.
…Applying the above-observed matters to the current case, therefore, the defendants (Prophet Makandiwa, his wife Ruth and UFIC) cannot be allowed to hide behind the proposition that their situation relates to ecclesiastical matters which the court has no jurisdiction to determine.
More: Sunday Mail