Apostle Rodney Chipoyera’s declaration that publicly criticising President Emmerson Mnangagwa is “demonic” has triggered a fierce backlash, with critics questioning whether the preacher’s political posture has been shaped by the luxury gifts lavished on his family by businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
Opposition politician and constitutional lawyer Fadzayi Mahere was among those to mock Chipoyera after he defended the President from public correction.
“Mota dziye dzakushanda manje,” Mahere wrote on Thursday—loosely translated as, “Those car donations are now working.”
She added: “We need new leaders.”
Chipoyera, founder of Kingdom Prosperity Ministries, described Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s “National Father” and suggested that speaking against or publicly rebuking the President amounted to challenging a divinely recognised authority.
The remarks have sharpened scrutiny of Chipoyera’s relationship with Chivayo, whose highly publicised generosity has included luxury vehicles and large cash gifts to the preacher and his wife, Apostle Farai Chipoyera.
In June 2026, Chipoyera reportedly took delivery of a brand-new 2026 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge Series II. Chivayo announced the gift publicly, saying it was a gesture of gratitude for Chipoyera’s spiritual guidance and for raising his sister, Glendour Chirombe, in the church.
“Congratulations to you Apostle Rodney Chipoyera … on your well-deserved brand-new 2026 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge,” Chivayo wrote.
He praised the preacher as “a blessing to mankind” and “a pillar” for congregations.
The Rolls-Royce was not an isolated gesture. In September 2025, Chivayo reportedly gave Farai Chipoyera a new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and US$50,000 in cash for her birthday.
At the time, he described her as “a woman of exceptional grace” and “the rock” behind her husband’s ministry.
“Please go and see Victor at Executive Car Dealership and collect your brand-new 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, fully paid for and ready for collection,” Chivayo wrote.
“In addition, kindly receive US$50,000 in cash to spoil yourself and celebrate this special day in style.”
The extravagant gifts have prompted uncomfortable questions about the influence that wealth can exert over public figures—particularly religious
leaders who command large followings and possess a powerful platform from which to shape political opinion.
Lawyer Obey Shava delivered a blunt assessment of the relationship between Chivayo and those who receive his gifts.
“Congratulations Chivayo. They’re firmly in your pocket now,” Shava wrote.
He called for a “national day of deliverance” for recipients of what he described as “demon-coated” gifts, using a Shona expression suggesting that beneficiaries should be forced to surrender or “vomit out” what they received.
Ecumenical theologian and educator Rev Dr Kenneth Mtata also criticised the rise of personality-driven churches lacking what he described as theological education and wider accountability.
“How did we end up with these urban one-man churches, with no theological education and no ecumenical accountability?” Mtata wrote. “In the bigger picture, this is a national pandemic.”
Chivayo’s gifts to prominent religious figures, musicians, politicians and other public personalities have repeatedly attracted controversy. Critics allege that his philanthropy helps build a network of influential voices sympathetic to Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF. Chivayo has rejected allegations of improper political influence, maintaining that his generosity is motivated by Christian faith, personal relationships and appreciation for the recipients’ contribution to society.
There is no public evidence that the Rolls-Royce, the Prado or the US$50,000 was given under an explicit agreement requiring the Chipoyeras to defend the President. Mahere’s intervention is political commentary, not proof of a direct exchange.
But the timing and optics remain difficult to ignore.
When a preacher who has benefited from extraordinary private generosity declares criticism of the President to be “demonic”, the public is entitled to ask whether the pulpit is being used to defend principle—or protect proximity to power.
Chipoyera’s use of the title “National Father” has also opened another historical wound. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo is widely remembered as “Father Zimbabwe” for his role in the liberation struggle, national unity and the 1987 Unity Accord.
More importantly, Zimbabwe’s Constitution protects freedom of expression. The President is an elected public official, not a sacred figure beyond scrutiny. Citizens, journalists, Parliament, religious leaders and the courts all have the right to question presidential decisions and conduct.
Chipoyera’s remarks therefore go beyond a personal theological opinion. They raise a much larger question about the role of the church in a politically divided country: will religious leaders hold power to account, or will they use the language of divine authority to silence criticism of those who control political influence and command enormous private wealth?
When luxury vehicles and cash gifts enter the picture, that question becomes even harder to dismiss.
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