Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
A HOUSE in the Maranatha medium density in Harare West has been converted into a church leaving residents with properties near the church living in constant fear of disease outbreaks.
Residents described the situation at the house-cum-church as an “eyesore and disease-generating” location.
Suburban visited the suburb recently and spoke to residents who expressed their reservations about the fact that several people were visiting the house being used as a church.
“There will be a lot of cars parked at neighbouring houses with some congregants asking to park even in our yards including those without cars.
“Both men and women come to the church but there was a time when there were a lot of women frequenting the church,” said a resident.
The resident said the church members have certain days when they congregate at the house.
“Today I think maybe they are not.
“I heard that it’s an Apostle from Zaoga.
“We are complaining that this needs to be done at church not like this but we were saying if that’s your will for them to be there, fine,” she said.
The resident said they first started seeing people running in along the road where the house is located, purportedly casting out demons.
“The first time we would see people running in the road casting out demons and you don’t know how that will end. This is our residential area where we stay, so we would be fearing such things so we thought a church is a better place to have these things than in a residential area. When they start the demon casting sessions, we get concerned. They chased someone along the road the other time and then they caught him. We didn’t know what was going on. It was when they started the church (services).
“If you know there are things being cast out, you don’t know how such sessions will end. I don’t know whether they do it the proper way that they go where they are supposed to go instead of doing it in a residential area. You then fear for your family, I think it should be done in a church,” she said.
Residents said congregants started holding church services at the house in question about two or three weeks ago.
“We hear they live in this area.
“They have another place in the area but we are not sure if they use it as a church there too,” said another resident.
She said her other concern was that some of the congregants knock on their gates early in the mornings asking for permission to use their toilets.
“I told them we have no water and they said there was something wrong with their toilet,” she said.
The resident said a lot of people were not happy and were wondering why they were not congregating in a proper church.
Contacted for comment, the owner of the property, Reverend Chiromo who is said to be staying in another section of Maranatha said he noticed what was going on at the house when he passed through. “And I told them that what we are seeing here, we have our surrounding neighbours and there is a certain way that we would like to live.
“If you can send me the messages, it would give weight when I speak to the estate agent.
“I will be available next week then we can work together and express that.
“We wouldn’t want such a thing. It’s supposed to be residential.
“They had mentioned that there would be people coming but we didn’t think it was in those volumes that we are hearing,” he said.
Ward 16 Councillor Denford Ngadziore said worshipping should be done lawfully and in approved places.
“In as much as the Constitution allows for freedom of worship and assembly, this is supposed to be done lawfully.
‘‘Any church premise is supposed to have a lease with strict conditions from council so as to protect everyone around. We have received a number of complaints from residents and we will engage the church pastor for an amicable solution,” said Cllr Ngadziore.
Neighbours fear disease outbreaks as Maranatha house is converted into a church
Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter
A HOUSE in the Maranatha medium density in Harare West has been converted into a church leaving residents with properties near the church living in constant fear of disease outbreaks.
Residents described the situation at the house-cum-church as an “eyesore and disease-generating” location.
Suburban visited the suburb recently and spoke to residents who expressed their reservations about the fact that several people were visiting the house being used as a church.
“There will be a lot of cars parked at neighbouring houses with some congregants asking to park even in our yards including those without cars.
“Both men and women come to the church but there was a time when there were a lot of women frequenting the church,” said a resident.
The resident said the church members have certain days when they congregate at the house.
“Today I think maybe they are not.
“I heard that it’s an Apostle from Zaoga.
“We are complaining that this needs to be done at church not like this but we were saying if that’s your will for them to be there, fine,” she said.
The resident said they first started seeing people running in along the road where the house is located, purportedly casting out demons.
“The first time we would see people running in the road casting out demons and you don’t know how that will end. This is our residential area where we stay, so we would be fearing such things so we thought a church is a better place to have these things than in a residential area. When they start the demon casting sessions, we get concerned. They chased someone along the road the other time and then they caught him. We didn’t know what was going on. It was when they started the church (services).
“If you know there are things being cast out, you don’t know how such sessions will end. I don’t know whether they do it the proper way that they go where they are supposed to go instead of doing it in a residential area. You then fear for your family, I think it should be done in a church,” she said.
Residents said congregants started holding church services at the house in question about two or three weeks ago.
“We hear they live in this area.
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“They have another place in the area but we are not sure if they use it as a church there too,” said another resident.
She said her other concern was that some of the congregants knock on their gates early in the mornings asking for permission to use their toilets.
“I told them we have no water and they said there was something wrong with their toilet,” she said.
The resident said a lot of people were not happy and were wondering why they were not congregating in a proper church.
Contacted for comment, the owner of the property, Reverend Chiromo who is said to be staying in another section of Maranatha said he noticed what was going on at the house when he passed through. “And I told them that what we are seeing here, we have our surrounding neighbours and there is a certain way that we would like to live.
“If you can send me the messages, it would give weight when I speak to the estate agent.
“I will be available next week then we can work together and express that.
“We wouldn’t want such a thing. It’s supposed to be residential.
“They had mentioned that there would be people coming but we didn’t think it was in those volumes that we are hearing,” he said.
Ward 16 Councillor Denford Ngadziore said worshipping should be done lawfully and in approved places.
“In as much as the Constitution allows for freedom of worship and assembly, this is supposed to be done lawfully.
‘‘Any church premise is supposed to have a lease with strict conditions from council so as to protect everyone around. We have received a number of complaints from residents and we will engage the church pastor for an amicable solution,” said Cllr Ngadziore.
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