'Not prophets but psychiatric patients'

IT has been confirmed! They are maniacs. Hold on a second. Could there be a come back for Victory Church International leader Pastor Paul Sanyangore after that exposé by cousin brother Andy Zimunya on Star FM last week?

Of course, we have always known that this guy is a clown, a fraud - come on; who believes in someone who says he has God's phone number? It was just a matter of time before the chickens came home to roost.

He should have learnt from the best in the game - fewer believable miracles, more of Bible teachings and a lot of hogwash about miracle riches! But Sanyangore's get rich quick scheme has now backfired - he should have slowed down.

Now we know there were no miracles, no resurrection of dead people, no walking on water, no angels and that was definitely no God on the phone!

Do we not have laws in this country that allow the police to do something to protect its citizens against scammers like these? If not, then there should be enacted.

Many of my friends blame the people that go to these churches for propping up these "prophets" — but I believe Government needs to find ways of protecting its people.

Of course, freedom of worship must be respected but when someone says he has God's phone number surely authorities should ask the man a few questions.

Maybe we are allowing mad men to walk around and put our people in danger; maybe this Sanyangore and other such characters actually need to be put in a mental institution to protect not just them but the innocent citizenry of this country.

But Bolt Cutter is no psychiatrist, so, I sought answers from professionals. I'm just a journalist, I need answers too when things look a bit confusing.

We spoke to a mental health care nurse who also doubles as a clinical instructor at Parirenyatwa, Mr Shadreck Mandere, and he says he has observed some so-called prophets in the country and believes that they are psychiatric patients.

Mandere says most of them have delusions of grandeur and they have many such patients in psychiatric wards at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare.

Mandere explains: "There are a number of conditions that cause delusions; mania and bipolar. Bipolar is a combination of depression and mania. When in manic phase one can have religious delusions but mostly there is grandiosity, which is why they may believe they hear God's voice or that God is their friend.

"We have some here (Parirenyatwa Hospital) who believe themselves to be biological children of the President of the country and others who believe that they are Barack Obama. I strongly believe that some of these so-called prophets are in actual fact psychiatric patients," said Mandere.

Mandere said some of them could be schizophrenic, which explains why they may hear voices or believe that they are talking to God. However, Mandere, who could not be drawn into discussing specific personalities, said most of them need urgent help.

There you have it. It's not me saying this — it's the professionals.

But, let's just say Sanyangore and crew are actually normal; what could this be then? Maybe they are professional con artistes busy stealing from our people, which means responsible authorities must intervene to protect citizens of this country.

Talking about con artistes — right now as we speak there is a madzibaba who is paying socialites and celebrities to come to his church so that it appears as if his church is attracting the cream of society.

Once people see these celebrities at this fraud's shine, they then flock to his church for help.

While this is no crime — when they get away with such things, they go a step higher until they get to alarming levels where they tell people that they have God's phone number.

It is then that they start lying that certain Government ministers and high ranking members of the uniformed forces visit them nicodemously for "blessings" and protection against "enemies".

All this is meant to scare away those that want to expose their lies at the same time wooing unsuspecting "believers". How does one explain someone like this Talent Madungwe chap, he also calls himself a prophet — says he has met God three times and has also been to heaven. Now he claims that in the Heaven hierarchy he is number four from God.

Ok, if nothing can be done about the adults because of the many freedoms etcetera; how about protecting the kids?

That innocent child who is said to have been given some substance by the toddler's mother under the instruction of Paul Sanyangore so that the baby could appear dead should surely be protected.

The police must question these people — do some investigations and get to the bottom of it. Why do we take resurrection so lightly? To wake someone from the dead. No. This should stop.

Meanwhile, the world laughs at us. Instead of concentrating on finding real solutions to our family problems, challenges in our communities and fixing the country's economy — we are busy courting prophets and hoping that some miracle will take us out of this mess.

In the meantime, the person that some of these blind followers are choosing to give all their money to, is busy solving his or her own problems.

They have bought or built mansions, drive top-of-the-range cars, their kids are going to expensive academies and if they are business-savvy — they have started multi-million dollar companies and they have become legitimate business people.

Come on people — wake up and smell the coffee. It is all about the Benjamins, it's a scam. The problem in this country is that most people have become lazy. I will repeat this until there is a realisation out there that we have created a nation of lazy people who want to live on miracles.

There is a saying, which goes like this; "kneel down and pray then get up and work." I believe in it — miracles, well, there are just that, miracles.

Feedback: mtandazo.dube@zimpapers.co.zw or follow me on Twitter @MtandazoDube or Facebook Mtandazo Dube.