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Tendai Rupapa and Solange Dengu Harare Bureau
Madzibaba Ishmael Chokurongerwa Mufani wept uncontrollably in court yesterday while defending himself in a case in which he is accused of public violence.

Testifying in the ongoing trial, Madzibaba Mufani said he was being ‘fixed’ by Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) President Bishop Johannes Ndanga for refusing to pray for him and former Vice President Joice Mujuru so they could take over leadership of the country. He said Ndanga summoned him to his offices where he claimed that he had classified information that President Mugabe was going to step down, with Mujuru taking over while he (Ndanga) deputised her.

Madzibaba Mufani also claimed that Bishop Ndanga said the country was sick and tired of being led by non-Christians hence the need for God-fearing people like Mujuru and himself to take over.

Until last week, Mujuru had been the matron of ACCZ where Bishop Ndanga is president.

With tears trickling down his cheeks, Madzibaba Mufani told the court that he was not present when his followers allegedly attacked police and journalists at his shrine in Budiriro.

“Ndanga is fabricating the case against me, this is political,” he said while crying.

He added, “When the police first came to my shrine in 2013 inquiring on how we conducted our church practices, they later told me that Bishop Ndanga wanted to see us at his offices. I complied and went there with some of my colleagues. When we arrived, there were three portraits in his office. One bearing the President’s face was at the top followed by that of Mai Mujuru and lastly his (Ndanga).”

Madzibaba Mufani said Bishop Ndanga explained to them why the portraits were arranged in that order adding that he was going to tell them “classified information”.

A video clip in which the sect members were captured assaulting the police, journalists and ACCZ members was played in court and Madzibaba Mufani’s lawyer Tawanda Takaendesa asked him to comment about the person in the video who was said to be him.

In the video, a man whom the State alleges to be Madzibaba Mufani is seen seated with other congregants and is the first to launch the attack.

However, Madzibaba Mufani vehemently denied that it was him in the video arguing that the person in the video had black beard while his is white. He said the man in the video was Nesbert, one of the congregants.

Magistrate Milton Serima rolled over the matter to today for continuation of trial.