HARARE – Archbishop Ernest Paul Mamvura Mwazha, the revered founder of the African Apostolic Church has died.
Mwazha died peacefully at his home in Hatfield, Harare, at the age of 107, his family said.
Scores of congregants gathered at the family residence on Jefferson Road, where an atmosphere of solemn prayer and quiet reflection had settled.
Family spokesperson Dr Masimba Mwazha — who also served as the archbishop’s personal physician — remembered his father as “a spiritual giant whose reach extended far beyond our borders.”
“A spiritual giant has rested,” he said. “Archbishop Mwazha touched lives in profound ways, both physically and spiritually. His imprint will outlive generations.”
He said funeral arrangements were still being finalised as the family awaited relatives travelling from abroad. The church is also preparing to receive thousands of mourners from its branches around the world.
Born on October 25, 1918, at Holy Cross Mission in Chirumanzu, Archbishop Mwazha — widely known as Mutumwa, meaning “messenger” — survived a life-threatening childhood illness after being baptised “Paul” by a German Catholic missionary, an event his followers later viewed as symbolic of his spiritual calling.
He trained as a teacher at Howard Institute and worked within the Methodist Church before parting ways in the late 1950s, saying he had received a series of divine visions.
These experiences culminated in the establishment of the African Apostolic Church, now a sprawling movement with millions of followers across Africa and beyond.
Dr Mwazha attributed the archbishop’s long life to discipline and simple living.
“One thing that struck you about him was his spiritual depth. He fasted regularly and stuck to traditional foods like groundnuts and nyimo. We believe those habits sustained him,” he said.
During his decades-long ministry, Archbishop Mwazha travelled widely, championing a message centred on holiness, humility and healing.
He is survived by 10 of his 14 children. His wife died in 2017.
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