By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
On Tuesday, the prosecution introduced the 30th witness in the manslaughter trial involving Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 94 other defendants. One of the witnesses, 33-year-old Jimmy Mganga, stated that his last conversation with his father occurred at the time of Mackenzie’s arrest.
“I spoke to my father on Friday and asked him to leave Shakahola since their leader was arrested. He told me he would come back on Monday and then ended the call,” said Jimmy.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions reported that the witness indicated his father mentioned he was traveling to Shakahola to purchase land.
After arriving there, he returned to take his three sisters with him, leaving behind Jimmy and two of his brothers.
Jimmy elaborated that Mackenzie was a family friend who frequently visited their home to see his father.
He also disclosed that he had been a member of Mackenzie’s church in 2009 but chose to leave when the preacher advised against education, labeling it as ungodly.
“My siblings were in class three and form four when they dropped out of school, and I didn’t agree with that,” Jimmy said.
“The witness mentioned that he visited his father in Shakahola three times, but during those visits, there was no farming taking place. He later learned that Mackenzie had constructed dams in the area,” the ODPP said on an X post.
The witness additionally conveyed to the court that Pastor Mackenzie officiated his parents’ wedding in 2014 and provided them with a marriage certificate.
He went on to explain that his relationship with his father deteriorated after he reported him to the Ministry of Education, and upon his arrival in Shakahola, his father cautioned him against attempting to find him.
The ODPP further reported that Jimmy wrapped up his testimony by mentioning that the most recent occasion he saw his father, mother, and three sisters was in 2023.