By Staff Reporter
Police on Monday laid siege on the Tabernacle of Grace (TOG) headquarters in Harare where they interrogated workers and pastors over the whereabouts of the church’s leader Apostle Bastirai Java.
The detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) indicated that they wanted Apostle Java in connection with a viral audio that laid bare controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s plans to become Zimbabwe’s next president.
The audio that was leaked last Wednesday featured a conversation between the church leader and someone suspected to be a senior journalist.
Nine CID officers in five vehicles stormed the church premises in the morning and summoned workers and pastors for questioning before driving to Apostle Java’s house, where they sought details of his cars and verified his residential address.
Apostle Java’s young bother, Pastor Simba was among those interviewed.
The raid followed a visit to his church premises in Tynwald and Ruwa on Sunday by CID officers in an Isuzu vehicle with registration number AFU 9923.
According to insiders, the CID did not disclose the charges they intend to lay against Apostle Java over the audio.
The conversation was allegedly based on what controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei told the church leader’s young brother, Passion Java.
The two brothers, however, have denied any involvement in the recording.
Critics said the recording exposed how Tagwirei has allegedly captured President Emmerson Mnangagwa and state institutions, including the army, judiciary, police, prisons, and others.
Tagwirei also claimed he was the next president after Mnangagwa and said he would use constitutional amendments, including the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 and another amendment he would introduce, to bury Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s presidential ambitions.
Most people in Mnangagwa’s inner circle were implicated in the 33-minute-long explosive audio, which Tagwirei’s online backers have dismissed on social media as a hoax.
According to sources within Tagwirei’s team, the audio has ruffled many feathers, and Spirit Embassy founder Prophet Ubert Angel is now reportedly leading an onslaught against Apostle Java.
“Angel has vowed to sink even US$1 million to ensure that Apostle Java is arrested,” a well-placed source said.
“On Sunday, before the CID raided the TOG premises, Angel’s boys, like Sham Hungwe, popularly known as Prophet Elijah, had already started telling people that Prophet Java would be arrested that day.”
The source said Angel began pushing for Apostle Java’s arrest on Thursday last week, a day after the audio went viral.
“He went to see Tagwirei to call for Apostle Java’s arrest,” a source close to Angel said.
“At that point he had already made a video of himself prophesying that a popular church leader would be arrested.
“He was forced not to post it on his church social media handles after he failed to secure clearance to have Apostle Java arrested.”
Angel, the source claimed, wanted Apostle Java to be arrested, tortured, and forced to issue a statement apologising and admitting that he lied.
“To Angel, that would be reasonable damage control and would also provide ground to collapse Apostle Java’s church,” the source said.
Angel has been fighting Apostle Java for years. This included allegedly trying to hire girls to frame Apostle Java for rape.
The allegations emerged amid a bitter, long-standing rift between Angel and Apostle Java, which involved accusations of extortion, blackmail, and smear campaigns.
The relationship reached an all-time low in 2024 when Angel allegedly hired hitmen from South Africa to eliminate Apostle Java.
Nigel Dutiro, Apostle Java’s aide filed an official police report at Harare Central Police Station over the alleged assassination plot.
Law enforcement summoned both men for questioning, and police spokesperson Paul Nyathi subtly confirmed that the matter was placed under investigation.
However, the audio, which also implicates Angel, has acted as fresh fodder to renew the feud.
Angel, according to another source, wants even the journalist arrested and forced to issue a statement distancing himself from the audio and apologising to everyone implicated as part of a clean-up exercise.
“These days, he is attending meetings after meetings, seeking buy-in for his cruel intentions against Apostle Java. He is very determined to bury Apostle Java alive.”
Angel allegedly hates Apostle Java because the latter is seen as a man of integrity, unlike his bad reputation involving women, while many of his followers have deserted Spirit Embassy to join TOG.
