Opinion / Columnist
UK Zimbabweans die of HIV after being fooled by faith healers
19 Aug 2018 at 11:44hrs | Views
Dr Masimba Mavaza
A number of Zimbabweans in London with HIV have died after they stopped taking lifesaving drugs on the advice of their Evangelical Christian pastors. Pastors have taken advantage of the respect they get from the church members and have started abusing their faith by claiming to be able to heal AIDS. It sounds like a very old story but it is very painful.
Cecilia Marange died of HIV after a pastor in her evangelical Pentecostal church told her that she has been healed of the entire HIV virus. She was asked to bring all her medication and bin it in front of the shocked congregants as a show of faith. The evil pastors have the verses to support their blood spitting venomous mouths. The churches compete to be recognised and they take it a step further and claim to have powers to heal people with HIV.
Angela Matapi not her real name passed on after the Well-known Zimbabwean pastor in the UK claimed that she has been healed and she can dump her medication. What makes things so sad is the fact that Angie was a nurse by profession. The pastor made sure he took all her earnings and savings before abandoning her in her last few days.
One wonders why people are so gullible. They are in the medical field and yet they are fooled by a grade one drop out who claims to have holy fire. Why is God silent while his people are killed." asked Shanduka with pain in his eyes.
Many Zimbabweans have died after attending churches in London where they were encouraged to stop taking the antiretroviral drugs in the belief that God would heal them, their friends and a leading HIV doctor said. Responding to the BBC London investigation, Lord Fowler, the former health minister responsible for the famous Aids awareness campaign of the 1980s, condemned the practice. "It's just wrong, bad advice that should be confronted," said the Tory peer, who chaired .2011 House of Lords committee into HIV.
Elias Masakadza, 48, from Newham, east London, described one case, saying: "I know of a friend who had been to a pastor. She told her to stop taking her medication - that God is a healer and has healed her."
"This lady believed it. She stopped taking her medication. She passed away," said Masakadza who has HIV himself.
BBC London spoke to a second woman from east London who told of a friend who died after taking advice from her pastor who told her to stop taking her antiretroviral drugs.
Meanwhile, the director of a leading HIV research centre in east London said she had dealt with a separate case in which a person with HIV died as a result of advice from a pastor.
"I've only seen that once, but it has happened," said Prof Jane Anderson, director of the Centre for the Study of Sexual Health and HIV, in Hackney.
"We see patients quite often who will come having expressed the belief that if they pray frequently enough, their HIV will somehow be cured," she added.
"We have seen people who choose not to take the tablets at all so sometimes die." Lord Fowler condemned pastors giving this advice, saying: "It's dangerous to the public and dangerous in terms of public health."
"It's irresponsible," he said, suggesting pastors should instead "come off the air on it, look at things much more seriously, and not give this completely wrong advice to the public".
HIV prevention charity African Health Policy Network (AHPN) says a growing number of London churches have been telling people the power of prayer will "cure" their infections.
"This is happening through a number of churches. We're hearing about more cases of this," AHPN chief Francis Kaikumba said. The saddest thing is that Zimbabweans so believe, they believe anything with a mike and a bible. They are so scared of challenging a pastor. Many people in the UK who are known of buying cars for their pastors and buy houses and even discard their relatives because of their churches are Zimbabweans who have become Pentecostal. The most difficult person to convince is a Zimbabwean who is a believer of a man of God. they do not mind about God, but they so much love the man of God.
When approached by BBC London, leaders of the church described themselves as Evangelical Christian pastors.
The church's website, which was set up in Lagos, Nigeria, shows photos of people the church claims have been "cured" of HIV through prayer. Their Pastor is a Nigerian money spinner called Pastor Chris. But his victims are Zimbabweans who are very ready to believe and trust any spiritual proclamation.
The level of buffoonery is shocking.
Some people who are fooled into believing these healing powers are medical doctors and nurses. Some educated people find themselves being stripped off their hard earned coins by this unscrupulous man of the cloth.
In one example, TB Joshua church's website claims: "Mrs Badmus proudly displays her two different medical records confirming she is 100% free from HIV-Aids following the prayer of Pastor T B Joshua." in the same website several Zimbabweans come out claiming healing. few months after the claim their health takes a nose dive.
"Because these pastors have realised that Zimbabweans believe that anything written is true they have put HIV-Aids healing" on the church's website among "miracles" it says it can perform. "Cancer healing" and "baby miracles" are also advertised. A person with all senses believes such nonsense.
Most Zimbabwean churches in the UK promote a monthly "prayer line" for which it says: "If you are having a medical condition, it is important you bring a medical report for record and testimony purposes." They form WhatsApp groups claiming cancer healing and HIV reversal. One wonders why those who look clever are stupid.
My heart bleeds; I lost a very beloved friend and niece last month after she was fooled by the devil claiming to be a pastor to abandon her medication. It took her just few days to meet her grave. It is still a pain and a painful pain. The grief does not end.
The idiotic pastors will say we pray for free but just a bring a gift as big as your blessing. Can you imagine a gift being brought by the one who believes that he has been healed of aids?
A friend of mine is inconsolable after he learnt that his sister died after she spent all her money on badges and anointed waters. The magic water was supposed to heal aids.
"All the money we sent him would be spent on buying anointed water or booking prayer rooms where this pastor would go and 'pray' for him.
"You have been cured," our relative was told sadly, she died of. HIV last month. it sounds like fiction but yes people are dying and nothing is being done" lamented Matimba Jabius.
These Zimbabwean pastors prey on vulnerable people. They used prayer as a preying tool.
Our hearts are still heavy; those who listened to these false healing prophets are now in the cold soil. Their spirit went out, their families left in tears. Yet the prophet, pastor Bishop is moving on to the next Zimbabwean believer.
God have mercy
vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk
Cecilia Marange died of HIV after a pastor in her evangelical Pentecostal church told her that she has been healed of the entire HIV virus. She was asked to bring all her medication and bin it in front of the shocked congregants as a show of faith. The evil pastors have the verses to support their blood spitting venomous mouths. The churches compete to be recognised and they take it a step further and claim to have powers to heal people with HIV.
Angela Matapi not her real name passed on after the Well-known Zimbabwean pastor in the UK claimed that she has been healed and she can dump her medication. What makes things so sad is the fact that Angie was a nurse by profession. The pastor made sure he took all her earnings and savings before abandoning her in her last few days.
One wonders why people are so gullible. They are in the medical field and yet they are fooled by a grade one drop out who claims to have holy fire. Why is God silent while his people are killed." asked Shanduka with pain in his eyes.
Many Zimbabweans have died after attending churches in London where they were encouraged to stop taking the antiretroviral drugs in the belief that God would heal them, their friends and a leading HIV doctor said. Responding to the BBC London investigation, Lord Fowler, the former health minister responsible for the famous Aids awareness campaign of the 1980s, condemned the practice. "It's just wrong, bad advice that should be confronted," said the Tory peer, who chaired .2011 House of Lords committee into HIV.
Elias Masakadza, 48, from Newham, east London, described one case, saying: "I know of a friend who had been to a pastor. She told her to stop taking her medication - that God is a healer and has healed her."
"This lady believed it. She stopped taking her medication. She passed away," said Masakadza who has HIV himself.
BBC London spoke to a second woman from east London who told of a friend who died after taking advice from her pastor who told her to stop taking her antiretroviral drugs.
Meanwhile, the director of a leading HIV research centre in east London said she had dealt with a separate case in which a person with HIV died as a result of advice from a pastor.
"I've only seen that once, but it has happened," said Prof Jane Anderson, director of the Centre for the Study of Sexual Health and HIV, in Hackney.
"We see patients quite often who will come having expressed the belief that if they pray frequently enough, their HIV will somehow be cured," she added.
"We have seen people who choose not to take the tablets at all so sometimes die." Lord Fowler condemned pastors giving this advice, saying: "It's dangerous to the public and dangerous in terms of public health."
"It's irresponsible," he said, suggesting pastors should instead "come off the air on it, look at things much more seriously, and not give this completely wrong advice to the public".
HIV prevention charity African Health Policy Network (AHPN) says a growing number of London churches have been telling people the power of prayer will "cure" their infections.
"This is happening through a number of churches. We're hearing about more cases of this," AHPN chief Francis Kaikumba said. The saddest thing is that Zimbabweans so believe, they believe anything with a mike and a bible. They are so scared of challenging a pastor. Many people in the UK who are known of buying cars for their pastors and buy houses and even discard their relatives because of their churches are Zimbabweans who have become Pentecostal. The most difficult person to convince is a Zimbabwean who is a believer of a man of God. they do not mind about God, but they so much love the man of God.
The church's website, which was set up in Lagos, Nigeria, shows photos of people the church claims have been "cured" of HIV through prayer. Their Pastor is a Nigerian money spinner called Pastor Chris. But his victims are Zimbabweans who are very ready to believe and trust any spiritual proclamation.
The level of buffoonery is shocking.
Some people who are fooled into believing these healing powers are medical doctors and nurses. Some educated people find themselves being stripped off their hard earned coins by this unscrupulous man of the cloth.
In one example, TB Joshua church's website claims: "Mrs Badmus proudly displays her two different medical records confirming she is 100% free from HIV-Aids following the prayer of Pastor T B Joshua." in the same website several Zimbabweans come out claiming healing. few months after the claim their health takes a nose dive.
"Because these pastors have realised that Zimbabweans believe that anything written is true they have put HIV-Aids healing" on the church's website among "miracles" it says it can perform. "Cancer healing" and "baby miracles" are also advertised. A person with all senses believes such nonsense.
Most Zimbabwean churches in the UK promote a monthly "prayer line" for which it says: "If you are having a medical condition, it is important you bring a medical report for record and testimony purposes." They form WhatsApp groups claiming cancer healing and HIV reversal. One wonders why those who look clever are stupid.
My heart bleeds; I lost a very beloved friend and niece last month after she was fooled by the devil claiming to be a pastor to abandon her medication. It took her just few days to meet her grave. It is still a pain and a painful pain. The grief does not end.
The idiotic pastors will say we pray for free but just a bring a gift as big as your blessing. Can you imagine a gift being brought by the one who believes that he has been healed of aids?
A friend of mine is inconsolable after he learnt that his sister died after she spent all her money on badges and anointed waters. The magic water was supposed to heal aids.
"All the money we sent him would be spent on buying anointed water or booking prayer rooms where this pastor would go and 'pray' for him.
"You have been cured," our relative was told sadly, she died of. HIV last month. it sounds like fiction but yes people are dying and nothing is being done" lamented Matimba Jabius.
These Zimbabwean pastors prey on vulnerable people. They used prayer as a preying tool.
Our hearts are still heavy; those who listened to these false healing prophets are now in the cold soil. Their spirit went out, their families left in tears. Yet the prophet, pastor Bishop is moving on to the next Zimbabwean believer.
God have mercy
vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk
Source - Dr Masimba Mavaza
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