Mnangagwa And Chivayo Pour US$3 Million Into Makandiwa’s Megachurch Project
By Desire Tshuma
Harare – United Family International Church’s new building project has secured two of the biggest pledges in its history, placing the ministry at the centre of a national conversation about faith, money and influence.
Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa announced that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has pledged construction materials worth US$2 million. According to Makandiwa, the President has already requested quotations for the materials needed to advance construction of the new UFIC facility.
The pledge comes weeks after businessman Wicknell Chivayo committed US$1 million to the same project. Chivayo described the donation as support for “building God’s house”. Reports indicate the cash was presented to congregants in bundles of US$100 notes, with Makandiwa encouraging members to follow the example.
Chivayo’s support extended beyond the church donation. He also bought a 2026 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge for Prophet Makandiwa and a 2026 Mercedes-Benz G63 G-Wagon for Prophetess Ruth Makandiwa. Both vehicles were delivered to the couple. This month, he added a 2026 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 as an anniversary gift.
With the President’s US$2 million in materials and Chivayo’s US$1 million cash pledge, the project has now attracted at least US$3 million in publicly announced backing. The contributions are different in nature and should not be counted as a single cash donation.
The scale of the support has intensified public scrutiny of UFIC and its leadership. It has also underscored the close ties emerging between Zimbabwe’s Pentecostal movement, prominent business figures and political leadership.
UFIC was founded by Makandiwa in 2008 and grew from a prayer fellowship into one of Zimbabwe’s largest Pentecostal networks. The church’s Chitungwiza auditorium, opened in 2022, is reported to seat 30,000 people. The new construction project signals another major phase in the ministry’s expansion.
Chivayo has said his giving is philanthropy guided by Christian values. He stated that the US$1 million to UFIC was for the church’s development. Media estimates in July 2026 put his publicly announced donations since March 2024 at about US$43.9 million to more than 120 recipients, including religious leaders, musicians and sports figures.
The President’s commitment adds political weight to the development. A US$2 million materials pledge from the head of state is both financially significant and symbolically powerful.
For UFIC, the pledges provide major momentum for a project already linked to one of the country’s most visible ministries. For Makandiwa, the challenge will be to translate the high-profile support into visible construction and to manage the public discussion around the meeting point of faith, wealth, business and power.
What began as a church building has become one of Zimbabwe’s most watched developments.
