{"id":6997,"date":"2025-05-26T12:21:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T12:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/?p=6997"},"modified":"2025-05-26T12:21:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T12:21:03","slug":"sa-woman-alleges-zcc-church-is-a-cult-with-witchcraft-ties-sparks-heated-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/?p=6997","title":{"rendered":"SA Woman Alleges ZCC Church is a \u2018Cult\u2019 with Witchcraft Ties, Sparks Heated Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Gender and Community Affairs<br>A South African woman\u2019s explosive claims labeling the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) as a \u201ccult\u201d with alleged ties to witchcraft have ignited fierce online debate, drawing mixed reactions from supporters, critics, and congregants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The allegations, made during a recent viral podcast, accuse one of Africa\u2019s largest religious institutions of fostering secrecy, spiritual manipulation, and fear-based control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the podcast, the unnamed former ZCC member recounted her experiences, alleging she witnessed \u201cdisturbing practices\u201d among church leaders, including witchcraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI refuse to call ZCC a church\u2014it\u2019s a cult,\u201d she stated, questioning the institution\u2019s leadership structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDoes God\u2019s spirit only flow through the Mutendi family?\u201d she asked, referencing the dynasty that has helmed the church since the early 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She further criticized the church\u2019s \u201cspiritual rankings\u201d and \u201cstrange rituals,\u201d claiming followers are subjected to manipulation and secrecy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Founded over a century ago, the ZCC boasts millions of members across Africa. The church has long faced scrutiny over its insular leadership and practices, though it has consistently denied wrongdoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In response to the latest allegations, a ZCC representative reiterated to media that the institution is \u201choly and of God,\u201d dismissing the claims as baseless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No formal evidence has been presented to corroborate the woman\u2019s account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Social Media Divided Over Allegations<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The podcast triggered polarized reactions online, with some users sharing similar grievances and others defending the church:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>@Lebogang Selotole (self-identified ZCC member):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the first I\u2019m hearing such, and I was born in this church. You were never a Zionist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>@Tshiamo \ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6: \u201cI\u2019m not saying she\u2019s right, but sephiri ke sa eng [what\u2019s the secret] at \u2018church\u2019?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>@Machacha cakes:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s telling the truth. My siblings are still suffering the consequences of the altar my father built in that church. People need to open their eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>@kabelocaroline: \u201cThis lady is bound to share her story. Everyone has a story to tell. Please don\u2019t nullify her experiences.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Broader Debate on Faith and Fear<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The controversy has reignited discussions about the fine line between religious devotion and alleged exploitation in some African churches. Critics argue that institutions leveraging spiritual authority to enforce control or secrecy risk veering into cult-like behavior. Others caution against conflating unproven allegations with doctrinal differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As debates rage, the ZCC maintains its stance as a beacon of faith, while the accuser insists her story is a cautionary tale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m here to make music, not conflict,\u201d she metaphorically concluded, urging others to scrutinize religious power structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What are your thoughts? Is the ZCC a misunderstood institution, or do the allegations warrant deeper investigation? Share your views in the letters to the editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note: The ZCC has not issued a detailed public statement beyond denying the claims. This article includes allegations that remain unproven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zim GBC News\u00a9\ufe0f2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gender and Community AffairsA South African woman\u2019s explosive claims labeling the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) as a \u201ccult\u201d with alleged ties to witchcraft have ignited fierce online debate, drawing mixed&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community-and-gender-affairs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6997"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6998,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6997\/revisions\/6998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}