Emmanuel Makandiwa, the founder and leader of the United Family International Church (UFIC), recently shared his thoughts on the BBC Documentary about T.B. Joshua, the late Nigerian televangelist. The documentary featured allegations from some of Joshua’s disciples, accusing him of being involved in cult practices, rituals, and sexual abuse.
T.B. Joshua Probably Did It
In contrast to other preachers, Makandiwa did not defend or accuse Joshua. In a live recording on his YouTube channel, Makandiwa acknowledged that Joshua, like any other preacher, including himself, was capable of committing the acts he was accused of. He questioned those who defended Joshua while attacking the victims. He said:
He is not perfect. We are not saying a man of God cannot commit sin. We are not saying a man of God cannot do that and at the same time, you attack a victim. Why are you so sure that they (victims) are lying if you’re so sure that he is not perfect? He is not perfect, he can do that to you. Myself, I can do that to you. Treat me with caution, be careful, stay away! Be smart! It’s not an attack on him, I’m trying to protect you members from us, from men of God. The idea that you have that when a man of God sleeps with you you get some measure of anointing or grace that’s complete foolishness. There is nothing that you get.
Makandiwa also mentioned that due to Joshua’s power and connections, it would have been difficult for anyone to believe the abuse allegations if they had come forward earlier. Makandiwa drew attention to situations where presidents visit churches where underage girls are married off, suggesting that the parents of these girls are often unable to challenge church leaders due to their proximity to power. Some, including Zimbabwean preacher Passion Java, speculated that Makandiwa was referring to apostolic sects in Zimbabwe that had hosted President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
BBC Shoddy Job
Makandiwa expressed his belief that the BBC documentary lacked convincing evidence against Joshua. He criticised the interviews, suggesting that people can be manipulated to tarnish someone’s reputation or defend wrongdoers through bribery. He said:
I would have wanted to see proper, undeniable proof and it’s not there. There is nothing investigative about the documentary. It’s an interview. You’re inviting people to share their story. They did not give us any proof, there is no proof whatsoever. To me, crying is not enough. This is what I would have asked for as BBC because my credibility is at stake. Investigations should have started after the interview. If someone comes and tells you this is what has been happening in that facility, you have enough resources as a media house to pay SCOAN a visit and have some of these things verified in video format and not audio. Probably that was going to be more believable. You must have ways of extracting information from the ground.
He also mentioned that if Joshua were a white man, the BBC would not have gone to such lengths to expose him. Makandiwa stated that if Joshua had done good things, the BBC would not have covered his story either, because he is black.
Miracles Faked?
Addressing the idea that Joshua’s miracles invalidated the allegations against him, Makandiwa argued that miracles can still happen in churches led by individuals who have committed sins. He referred to 1 Samuel 2, which speaks of the iniquity of Eli’s sons, pointing out that despite their wrongdoing, miracles still occurred in that church. He said in that church where women were being raped by Eli’s sons, a declaration was made and Hannah who was barren conceived a baby – Samuel. Makandiwa dismissed the notion that Joshua had no power, emphasizing that he was the first contemporary prophet capable of delivering international prophecies. He said:
There are things you must accept. You (disciples) cannot say T.B. Joshua had no power. You can’t say there wasn’t any power there. That’s not true. You make us question then everything else you’re going to say. Do you even know what power is? He had it. As of the source, be sure, you don’t expect us to be sure, you were there for years. You have to be sure.
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Not Rape:
Makandiwa mentioned that some people may only consider speaking up about rape when they find out that the accused person is involved with other women. He explained that initially, there is mutual consent between them and there is no rape.