Police deny knowledge of probe into church leader Java

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) says it has no knowledge of an investigation against prominent church leader Batsirai Java over a viral audio recording containing allegations of state capture and political intrigue under President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration.

The denial comes after reports that police had launched a manhunt for Java, founder of the Tabernacle of Grace Church, over alleged offences including treason, publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the State, bigotry and undermining the authority of the President.

The audio, which emerged about two months ago, featured unidentified individuals making a series of claims about Zimbabwe's political and religious landscape.

Among the allegations was a claim that businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei had told controversial preacher Passion Java — Batsirai Java's brother — that he was Zimbabwe's next leader.

Batsirai Java has since distanced himself from the recording and denied any association with its contents.

Despite this, sources claimed that police had raided his church premises and home, while his secretary and an aide were reportedly taken in for questioning.

An online publication subsequently reported that the police Law and Order section had opened a docket against Java containing four charges and identified Chief Superintendent Runganga as the officer allegedly leading the investigation.

Runganga has reportedly since been transferred to Bindura.

However, ZRP national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was unaware of any such investigation.

"I have not received any report relating to any investigation involving Batsirai Java," Nyathi said.

The police position has raised questions over the reported raids and the alleged investigation, including whether any operation against Java had been formally authorised by the police hierarchy.

Police sources, meanwhile, claimed there was no substantive case against the church leader and alleged that the reported investigations were being driven by internal rivalries within the religious sector.

One source alleged that a senior police officer had been acting at the behest of another prominent religious figure who had allegedly assembled about US$30 000 to target Java.

The allegations could not independently be verified.

The source further alleged that a senior police officer had deployed subordinates to raid Java's properties using police resources.

It was also claimed that the same religious figure was behind the online report linking Java to the alleged charges, with President Mnangagwa's name allegedly invoked to create the impression that the operation had official backing.

A police officer was reportedly heard threatening to prevent Java from attending the Generation Next conference held in Harare in July and to stop him from returning to his church.

"Unfortunately, church competition and politics have become the central issue in the audio case, with the Zimbabwe Republic Police becoming the battleground," a police officer said.

Other prominent religious figures whose names featured in the viral recording included Ubert Angel and Emmanuel Makandiwa.

According to police sources, there were suspicions that the allegations against Java had been revived after initially losing momentum.

"In order to set up the preacher again, money was pumped into the media space to resurface the dead story," the officer alleged.

The latest developments leave the status of any formal investigation against Java unclear, with the police publicly distancing themselves from reports that a docket had been opened against him.