Edmore Zvinonzwa-Own Correspondent 

A CENTURY in cricket is a remarkable feat that is often celebrated, with the outstanding athletes dominating newspaper headlines. However, centuries in cricket are feats that can be achieved in a single day.

A handful of cricketers globally have hit this outstanding feat, something that indicates how valued the achievement can be. These are feats that are not easy to come by and Ernest Paul Mamvura Mwazha, who hit 107 years yesterday with his birthday, which was celebrated across the world yesterday. The mass gathering held across Zimbabwe and the World .

When we talk about Mwazha – popularly known by his followers as Mutumwa, who committed his whole life to the service of the Lord – we are reminded of the group of influential Africans who took over the spreading of the gospel with some even tailor-making it to resonate with their African beliefs. The bulk of Christian missionaries then were coming from Europe.

These pioneers played a big role in ensuring that the new religion belonged to the people and thus could not be used to further the political agenda of the colonisers while at the same time bringing people closer to Christ. Names such as the late Ezekiel Guti, the late Samuel Mutendi and Paul Mwazha are among these pioneers of the African Christian Church and the history of the church in Zimbabwe would never be complete without mentioning these phenomenal men. Mwazha deserves special mention in history as he has been exceptional as a church leader.

Mwazha, popularly known by his followers as Mutumwa, was born on October 25, 1918 at Holy Cross Mission, a Roman Catholic Church-run centre in Chirumhanzu District, near the mining town of Mvuma. This was during the influenza pandemic that claimed many newly-born babies in the area. His mother, Saramina, a newly-converted Catholic, named him Mamvura as she was convinced the young baby was also not going to make it and would belong to the water as he was going to be buried by the river bed as per the Shona custom when interring babies.

As she was certain her child had influenza and was likely not to make it, she rushed to the then resident Catholic priest Father Schmidt to get him baptised before he died as required in Catholic tradition. He was then given the name Paul as his baptism name. To everyone’s surprise immediately after baptism, he reportedly screamed lively and everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit.

The young man grew up a Catholic and by the time he was 11, he had completed Catholic Catechism. He went to Musvaure Methodist School in Chivhu for his Standard 1 at the age of 12 but later transferred to Kwenda Mission to complete Standard Four before proceeding to Howard Mission. Mutumwa was a star student and was made prefect and won a number of bursaries throughout his time there. Though he was born in to Catholicism, he turned to the Methodist Church as he went to a Methodist secondary school. His love for God remained very evident. He remembers that growing up as an orphan following his father Joseph Mugovera Mwazha’s death while he was still young, he often witnessed the power of prayer in his life as every time he prayed and that he was swiftly answered.

 He remembers his first visitation as when he was doing Standard Two in 1934 when Jesus Christ appeared to him in a dream flanked by two angels and singing Hym 142 of the 1940 Methodist Church. While he was finishing his teachers’ training at Howard Mission, he had another vision that perhaps remains the cornerstone of his ministry as he clearly saw from the inscription Recreation of Africa, which remains the church’s motto until today. In 1943 while a in a classroom teaching in Chiweshe, he witnessed another vision where the voice asked him what he wanted, riches? And he responded that he wanted to save lives for Christ.

When he started teaching in 1941, it was at a local school at Gweshe Primary School near Howard, where they started off with only 25 learners. Being a passionate educationist, Mutumwa visited local families, encouraging them to send their children to school. The following year, their enrolment rose to over 150. Mutumwa was soon transferred to Howard and later served as a headmaster in Chivhu.

As a young teacher with the Methodist Church, he and other evangelists from the Methodist Church in 1953 started to do revival church services at the Sadza Growth Point. The services where inter-denominational and a lot of souls were converted to Christianity and phenomenal miracles were witnessed. In 1959, he established his own church, which has since grown to have a membership of millions across the world. Though it is classified under the Apostolic sect, Mutumwa’s church stands out as it embraced all the modern comforts of society. Education is encouraged for all genders and the members are free to visit hospitals for medical attention.  One of Mutumwa’s sons is actually a medical doctor and other members of the Apostolic Church occupy top positions in different organisations.

Over the years, Apostle Mwazha has been called by members of the society to preside over a number of societal issues and praying for communities that found themself in discord. His strength lies in his ability to teach the word of God, emphasising on a simple life that is filled with virtue. Unlike most church leaders in the country, Mutumwa is known for his simplicity and being apolitical. His church does not own large tracts of land nor was he ever known for having a fancy lifestyle. He lost his wife 2017 with whom he had six children. Mutumwa attributes his long life to God, his diet and exercise. He has always known the power of delegation and that has always been his leadership style.

His followers, without exception, have been touched by his presence among them. It is not ordinary that multitudes of people from all over the world can relate personal experiences they have had with him spiritually either in visions, or in near-live interactions where he has helped them out of difficult situations such as extreme health challenges, or near-death experiences.

In a statement his church said: “You have always given a simple explanation of how such extraordinary things can possibly happen, ‘That is my work, I was commissioned to give rest to believers (Ndiro basa rangu, ndakatumwa kuzorodza vanotenda). This is why our people composed a song, Wakafanana na Pauro Mwazha ndiani? Hakuna, (Who can be like Paul Mwazha? No one).

“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will rescue him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him and show my salvation.’” Psalms 91v15-16.