SOME people claiming to be ‘prophets’ in Lusaka are selling underwear to unsuspecting desperate female congregants which they claim are ‘anointed’ for marriage protection and preservation.
A woman of Kanyama Township, who sought anonymity, confessed to the Sunday Times of Zambia that a ‘prophet’ visited her to offer some ‘prophetic’ solutions after clandestinely learning of her marital disputes with the husband.
She said the named prophet told her that she was possessed with a spiritual husband and all she needed to do was to buy new ‘anointed’ underwear from him at a cost of K100 to repel the provocative spiritual husband.
“I looked for K100 because I wanted my problems to end and bought the underwear which normally costs K20 at the market but despite wearing the underwear, there was no improvement at all,” she said (From Front Page)
The ‘prophet’ is said to have cashed in on many women in Kanyama Township before they realised that was in fact a dubious individual currently at large and unreachable on phone.
True Word of God Tabernacle Assemblies Bishop Christopher Chilombo, who confirmed having received a victim in his church, said he was shocked with mushrooming evil practices being done using in the name of God.
“These are indeed the last days. How can people go to an extent of using underwear? Where is it written in the Scriptures? Some of these people belong to the dark word kingdom, read Isaiah 6: 1 to 4,” said Bishop Chilombo.
Meanwhile, another clergyman Obert Thole of Lusaka has become popular for selling what he calls anointed brooms which his followers are instructed to use to sweep every area of the house which experiences problems.
Mwamba Chisenga, one of the congregants of the at Thole’s church, said the brooms that were sometimes sold for K20 each or less depending on what the pastor decides, should never be shared with a neighbour.
“We can use the broom to sweep even in the meal bin, the fridge, on the bed or anywhere where you want blessings to come,” she said.
The concept of sweeping away blues from the congregants’ homes had been inculcated into the members to an extent where they were prepared to buy bottles of anointing water, light bulbs and oil at inflated prices.
In effect, anointing water turned out to be simply ordinary mineral water which costs K3 but shoots up to between K20 and K30. Anointing oil then fetches K40-K60 per 100mls bottle which when critically scrutinised, looks like mere cooking oil.
According to the Sunday Times of Zambia calculations, a two-litre container of cooking oil which costs K32 when repackaged as ‘anointing oil’ would make up to more than K800. And a bulb that costs K4 when ‘anointed’ is sold for K60 to supposedly illuminate out evil in the house.
When contacted for a comment and a full name of the church, one of Pastor Thole’s ministers declined to give the name of the church on phone.
African Methodist Episcopal Church Bishop Paul Kawimbe shared a diverse opinion and warned that people ought to be careful with those who were taking advantage of vulnerability for personal gain.
Bishop Kawimbe said it was in fact wrong for the media to continue referring to such self-styled prophets as men of God as it was putting the name of God into disrepute.
Times of Zambia