HARARE, Zimbabwe — In a clash that crackles with spiritual fervor and political intrigue, one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent prophets and an embattled church leader find themselves at the center of some of the most explosive allegations to rock the country’s religious and diplomatic elite.
At the core of this storm is Uebert Angel, a self-proclaimed prophet, businessman, and Zimbabwe’s ambassador-at-large to Europe and the Americas. His adversary: Apostle Batsirai “Passion” Java, a charismatic preacher whose security aide recently filed a police report claiming Angel arranged an assassination plot. Amid the turmoil, a separate Al Jazeera investigation into Angel’s financial dealings has added a global dimension to the contest.
1. The Accusation: Life Threats, Hitmen and a Formal Police Report
On April 26, 2024, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) recorded a complaint at Harare Central Police Station — under RRB number 141472 — alleging that two suspected South African hitmen, identified in media as “Mkhwananzi” and “Ndimande,” had been recruited to carry out a plot to murder Apostle Java. NewsDay Zimbabwe+1
The complaint, made by Nigel Dutiro, Java’s longtime security aide, included claims of a coordinated plan: according to him, the plot was “linked to Angel,” whose spiritual and political influence reaches far beyond the pulpit. “It’s true,” Dutiro told reporters. “I made a police report because there has been a threat to life.” NewsDay Zimbabwe+1
According to local reporting, a woman named Sharon Munro, allegedly linked to Angel, played a central role in exposing the scheme. She is said to have been overheard on March 31 in a posh Harare bar describing an “elaborate plot” against Java, then departed Zimbabwe via Robert Mugabe International Airport on April 3. NewsDay Zimbabwe+1
The two purported hitmen allegedly entered Zimbabwe at Beitbridge and traveled to Harare, according to sources close to the investigation; when the plot was exposed, the men purportedly returned to South Africa without fulfilling the mission. NewsDay Zimbabwe
The police spokesperson, Paul Nyathi, told The Standard he had not yet received a full briefing from Harare central command, underscoring how sensitive and potentially explosive the case remains. NewsDay Zimbabwe Meanwhile, Angel has remained publicly silent — according to media reports, he did not respond to questions from The Standard, and sources close to him deny any wrongdoing. NewsDay Zimbabwe
2. The Prequel: Extortion, Smear, and Rivalry in the Churches
This scandal did not come out of nowhere. Angel and Java have long occupied overlapping spiritual spheres — both prominent in Zimbabwe’s fast-growing charismatic Christian movement — but their feud has grown more bitter over time, drawing in accusations of blackmail, extortion, and social-media sabotage.
In March 2024, media outlets reported that Angel’s camp, allegedly through an associate named Jay Israel, attempted to force Java into a public apology. According to those reports, the threat involved releasing damaging audio recordings from Prof Ex, a controversial blogger, of women claiming they had sexual misconduct or abuse experiences linked to Java — unless he paid US$ 50,000. While the exact evidence for those recordings remains mediated through online outlets, the claims marked a serious escalation in their battle.
Local religious leaders, including Bishop Tudor Bismark, attempted to calm the waters: publicly calling for mediation, they warned that what began as a doctrinal or personal rivalry risked metastasizing into violence and state-level conflict.
3. The Larger Shadow: Gold, Diplomacy, and Lavish Deals
Beyond the immediate church war lies a broader, more systemic controversy. In March–April 2023, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) aired a multi-part exposé titled Gold Mafia, alleging that Angel used his diplomatic position to facilitate money laundering through a gold-smuggling network. Al Jazeera+1
In undercover meetings, Angel and his associate, Rikki Doolan, posed for what they believed were Chinese clients with vast sums of untraceable cash. Angel proposed using his diplomatic status — including vulnerabilities in customs and airport protocols — to move the money into Zimbabwe through private planes. “You want gold, gold we can do it right now, we can make the call right now, and it’s done,” he told the undercover reporters. Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
Angel and Doolan suggested a laundering method: accept illicit funds into Zimbabwe, use them to buy gold domestically through state-linked refineries, then re-export that gold to convert it back into “clean” foreign currency. Al Jazeera Investigative Unit They claimed the operation had “blessings” at the highest level — including links to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, which Angel referenced directly. Al Jazeera
Calls between Angel and Auxillia Mnangagwa, the president’s wife, were also documented in the investigation. In one conversation, Angel inquired about the logistics for a laundering plan. “How would I know?” she replied when he asked if they should use a government plane or private ones. “Ask father,” she told him — a reference to the president. Al Jazeera
The investigation also implicated Henrietta Rushwaya, Mnangagwa’s niece and influential in Zimbabwe’s mining sector, as a potential facilitator of the gold-for-cash laundering pipeline. Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
4. The Stakes: Why This Feud Matters
This is not only a bitter theological rivalry: it is a fight that threads together religion, diplomacy, illicit finance, and state power.
- For Apostle Java, the allegations of a murder plot are existential — not just for his ministry, but potentially for his life. His decision to approach the police, rather than contain the conflict within the church, suggests he views the threat as more than rhetorical.
- For Uebert Angel, the accusations risk undermining the dual pillars of his influence: his spiritual authority and his diplomatic privilege. If proven, they could expose him to criminal liability and dismantle his carefully cultivated international stature.
- For Zimbabwe, this controversy raises fundamental questions about governance, corruption and accountability. Angel’s case illustrates how high-ranking spiritual figures can intersect with political power and transnational financial networks — and how checks and institutions may struggle to contain them.
5. Unanswered Questions & the Road Ahead
As of now, critical elements remain murky or unresolved:
- Legal clarity: There has been no publicly disclosed charge sheet that names Angel in a criminal conspiracy related to the assassination accusation. The investigation appears to still be ongoing, but transparency has been limited.
- Evidence access: Key documents — police affidavits, travel records for the alleged hitmen, whistleblower testimony — have not been made broadly available. Independent verification will be crucial for any final reckoning.
- Institutional response: Will Zimbabwean authorities, civil society or international bodies follow up on the gold-smuggling allegations in earnest? The Al Jazeera exposé triggered a public outcry, but long-term accountability requires sustained legal and institutional effort.
- Church accountability: The conflict spotlights the need for internal oversight within religious communities whose leaders wield enormous spiritual and political clout.
6. Conclusion
The unfolding confrontation between Uebert Angel and Apostle Java is more than a tempest in a pulpit — it is a prism through which to view broader structural risks in Zimbabwe’s spiritual, political and financial landscape. With serious allegations of violence, extortion, and cross-border money laundering, the stakes are as high as they are personal.
For Zimbabwe, the story is not simply about two men. It is about the capacity of institutions — police, courts, civil society — to challenge powerful figures who exist at the nexus of faith and state. As the investigation continues, the world will be watching: not just for the outcome, but for whether truth and justice can pierce a network built on prophecy, money and power.
References / Key Sources
- NewsDay / The Standard, “Police investigate Uebert Angel alleged murder plot” by Mirriam Mangwaya, May 2, 2024. NewsDay Zimbabwe+1
- Al Jazeera Investigative Unit, Gold Mafia series. Al Jazeera Investigative Unit+1
- Al Jazeera, “Six secrets uncovered by Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia investigation.” Al Jazeera
- Al Jazeera, “Zimbabwe to investigate gold smuggling after Al Jazeera expose.” Al Jazeera
- Al Jazeera, “Top Zimbabwe ambassador involved in gold smuggling scheme.” Al Jazeera Investigative Unit