Makandiwa court ruling challenged

A Harare business couple which lost a $6,5 million claim against United Family International Church (UFIC) leader Emmanuel Makandiwa and his wife Ruth, over an alleged false prophecy, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court decision dismissing the claim.

The Makandiwas last week won the case after the High Court dismissed the application by Mr Upenyu Mashangwa and his wife Blessing, seeking a refund of their contributions to the church.

They also alleged fraud and defamation, but Justice Owen Tagu summarily dismissed the six claims against the UFIC leaders as false, frivolous and vexatious. He granted the Makandiwas an order allowing them not to defend the claim.

The Mushangwas are now seeking to quash the decision of the lower court and last Friday, they filed a notice of appeal against the judgment.

In their grounds of appeal, the Mashangwas, who are being represented by Advocate Sylvester Hashiti, argue that the lower court misdirected itself in finding that fraud and fraudulent misrepresentation did not constitute a valid cause of action at law.

The Mashangwas sued Makandiwa in 2017, claiming they had fallen prey to a prophecy by the latter promising them a "debt cancellation miracle".