Tendai Mukombe, the first wife of Madzibaba Ishmael Chokurongerwa, has lifted the veil on their tumultuous marriage.
Her candid revelations paint a picture of hypocrisy, secrecy, and hardship within the confines of their unconventional family.
Speaking to H-Metro, Mukombe said that Madzibaba Ishmael was a hypocrite. While he preaches to his devoted followers, his actions behind closed doors tell a different story.
She said his ability to sway minds and “brainwash” his army of faithful adherents contrasts sharply with the reality of his personal life.
Mukombe and Madzibaba Ishmael share a complicated history. They have eight children together, but two of their kids have passed away.
Four of their children reside with their father in the mystical realm of “Canaan.” Mukombe, on the other hand, lives with her two boys, in rural Murehwa, Mashonaland East Province.
The breaking point in their marriage came when Madzibaba Ishmael took a second wife. Interestingly, Mukombe claims to know only the second wife, unaware of the existence of the other seven wives in Madzibaba Ishmael’s clandestine network.
Mukombe said her daughters are now married but she never received any lobola (bride price) for them. Madzibaba Ishmael’s decree outlawed this customary practice.
Strangely, he paid lobola for Mukombe in full, securing her as his first wife. Additionally, he possesses birth certificates for all eight of their children.
Yet, these certificates remain forbidden within the sacred confines of Madzibaba Ishmael’s shrine. Said Tendai:
I never received any lobola from my son-in-laws since Madzibaba Ishmael abolished the lobola custom.
Asi iye akandibvisira pfuma yose zvekuti baba namai vangu vakapfeka mbatya nekudya roora rese.
Madzibaba Ishmael acquired birth certificates for all his children with me.
It is my prayer for Madzibaba Ishmael to repent, to look after all his children and to be released from prison for good.
She also claimed she was blocked by Madzibaba Ishmael from receiving any kind of support from him, his church and any of her children after she refused to support his church’s doctrine. She said:
My life has not been good since the outbreak of COVID-19, in March 2020.
That is the time he ditched me, following a misunderstanding over his decision to marry his second wife.
Ndakaramba kuenda kuNyabira ndikati handingasiye dzimba dzangu, ndinofira pano.
My marital issues haunted me and I nearly took my life, but my neighbours urged me to soldier on and remain prayerful.
Mukombe’s life took a dramatic turn when her rural home, a sanctuary of memories and struggles, was unexpectedly put up for sale by Madzibaba Ishmael.
In her desperate plea for mercy, she encountered compassionate homeseekers who understood the gravity of her predicament.
But the challenges did not end there. When Madzibaba Ishmael faced arrest after the Budiriro incident, Tendai found herself thrust into an unfamiliar role. With her husband behind bars, she became the sole provider for their children.
In the quiet corners of her modest home, Mukombe grappled with the harsh realities of poverty and the enigma of a spiritual leader who had once promised solace but now left her to fend for herself and their children. She said:
He was jailed and I had to fend for the children alone. He was jailed when I was nursing our last born and the baby died while he was in prison.
Upon his release, Madzibaba Ishmael inflicted more pain on me by marrying another wife.
She said her marriage caused her a great deal of suffering and she decided to stop going to Madzibaba Ishmael’s church and joined another Johanne Masowe yeChishanu because she was being mocked and her children were not being supported.
Mukombe said Madzibaba Ishmael convinced the children that he was not going to look after them if they were to remain with her.
More: Pindula News