WORSHIPERS at AFM Springville met in Ruwa yesterday against their leadership with the youths running riot following reports that their leader was suspended from the church for se_xually attacking a female congregant.
Pastor Oliver Makomo who heads Springville sect in Ruwa was suspended after the Harare provincial leadership convened and agreed to relieve him of his ministerial duties over the allegations.
His alleged se_xual attack on the congregant came to light after the woman wrote a letter to AFM’s overseer. Maron Mashumba, chronicling how the man of cloth se_xually abused her.
H-Metro is in possession of the decommissioning letter dated August 11 2016.”It is true. There was chaos here and as you can see we failed to hold a church service because of that matter.
“There were some reports that the provincial leadership wanted to announce the suspension of Pastor Makomo over the issue (se_xual abuse).
“Congregants” were not happy and there were some mixed reactions over the news which ended up with revolts.
“There was real chaos.
“You should have come here at around 9am to witness what was happening, “said a church member when H-Metro visited the church.
Overseer Mashumba could neither confirm nor deny Pastor Makomo’s suspension and yesterday’s incident saying the matter was still under investigations. He said:
”I am not in the position to comment over the issue to the media.
“It is still under investigations and I cannot shed more light on a matter which is still under investigations.
”I am not the church’s mouth piece and not allowed to talk to media.”I could have referred you to our Secretary General but he is not yet informed about the matter, “said Overseer Mashumba.
In her letter, the 22-year-old told Overseer Mashumba that she approached Pastor Makomo with a prayer request after having problems with nose-bleeding. The woman said she sought for an appointment through a phone call and the ‘man of God’ invited her to his church office. It was on this ‘first date’ that Pastor Makomo kissed and fo_ndled her.
“Mufundisi Makomo vakandiudza kuti ndiuye kuoffice kwavo.
”Ndakaenda kuoffice ndakusvika ndikanamatirwa asi pandakanamatirwa apa maive muoffice mavo, secretary wavo aivewo muroom makewo, zvakadaro vakatanga kundimbundira vachiisa muromo wavo pamuromo wangu vachindiudza kuti you will be fine, “reads part of the letter.
The woman further alleges that she became friends with the Pastor’s maid and started sleeping over at his house. She claims, in her letter, that one evening the Pastor sent her a message while she was at his place asking if she was still a vi_rgin.
She said that the pastor Makomo invited her to his house on December 26 2014 after she had not attended the youth Christmas party hosted at his house. It was on this night that the Pastor allegedly ‘deflowered’ the woman after she slept at his house.
“Vakawuya kuroom kwandaive ndakarara vachindibata mazamu vakandikisser vakandinwisa zvavakandinwisa asi handina kuwona chibhodhoro chacho.
“Vakandibvisa bhurugwa ndokurara neni mudzimai wavo aive mumba umu asi handina kusheedzera kana wandakaudza izvi zvose……,”reads part of her letter.
The woman also claimed that Pastor Makomo would pester her to send to him nu_de pictures. She also claimed that the man of cloth’s action forced her boyfriend to abandon her. Efforts to get a comment from Pastor Makomo were fruitless after a man, who claimed to be his son answered his phone.
The man promised H-Metro to get hold of his father but the phone was later switched off by the time of going to print. Meanwhile, the woman’s known boyfriend, name withheld, confirmed the development saying he was forced to separate with his lover following the reports.
”I heard about the matter, I heard that she wrote a letter but we have since separated following those reports,” he said.