Both Christians and non-Christians have different theories on why thousands throng the City Sports Centre, to hear Pa-stor Emmanuel Makandiwa every Sunday and Tuesday.
Many have their own hypotheses of where the founder of United Family Interdenominational gets his powers and point their fingers in different directions.
Others claim that his expulsion from the Apostolic Faith Mission Church was a result of serious differences over the source of his healing powers while other churches accuse him of “stealing their people”.
Some men have accused him of ruining their marriages by exposing their extra-marital affairs to their wives through his prophecies.
His followers say all allegations are a result of jealousy.
But who really is Prophet Makandiwa?
Where did he come from?
There is very little information available about him from what has been written before and from what is volunteered by others.
Towering at almost two metres, Pastor Emmanuel Maka-ndiwa (32), also known as Shingirai Chirume, can easily be mistaken for a basketball player in the American league.
He was reportedly born on December 25 in 1977, of a Muzarabani peasant family. His parents are both elders in the Apostolic Faith Mission Church in Muzarabani.
The journey began in 1993, when Pastor Makandiwa and other boys his age spent six months with the late Pastor Mukwaira going around on crusades.
The teenage Makandiwa then left for his rural home after completing secondary education at Zengeza High to help his parents back in Muzarabani till the land.
In Muzarabani, Makandiwa started taking God’s word seriously and the next four years turned his life around.
With his parents, they organised crusades and preached from home.
In 1995, Pastor Makandiwa reportedly received his calling to serve God in a vision and would team up with a Muzarabani AFM Pastor, Rev Munyengeterwa , on gospel crusades.
During those years while preaching the word, God reportedly showed him that he wanted him to deliver people from the bondage of Satan.
In 2000, Makandiwa now fully engrossed in the work of Jesus Christ, enrolled at the AFM’s Living Waters Bible College in Harare and graduated in 2002.
During the same year, he married Ruth Makawa.
After finishing his pastoral studies, Rev Makandiwa chose to go to Matabeleland and worked as an assistant pastor under Rev Madziire, who was an overseer then.
After ordination, he was given an assembly in Shangani. There he became the talk of the neigbourhood with his demonstration of the power of God.
In 2004, he was transferred to How Mine.
He then went to Hebron Assembly in Chitungwiza and left the church last year.
Pastor Makandiwa could not be reached for comment.
His assistant, Pastor Rukwati, said he would only be available next week.
But things were to change last year when the AFM church told Makandiwa to choose between the UFI and AFM. He chose UFI.
For the entire debate that has stalked the youthful                    pastor and his ministry, he is no doubt a crowd puller who has left an indelible mark on the preaching of the gospel in Zimbabwe.

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