By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
The 19th witness in the manslaughter trial involving Paul Mackenzie and 94 others has shared with the court the heartbreaking experience of losing his one-year-old child and wife in the Shakahola forest.
Speaking under witness protection, he recounted how Mackenzie persuaded his followers to move from Furunzi to Shakahola.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) reported that the witness indicated his child was part of a group of children who perished as a result of the enforced fasting mandated by Mackenzie.
He further described the harrowing conditions, noting that his child was deprived of both food and water while being instructed to present themselves before God in prayer. He stated that these children, along with others, were buried in the forest under Mackenzie’s oversight.
Additionally, he mentioned that his wife also succumbed after enduring an extended period of fasting.
“The witness revealed that he was a pianist at the Good News International Church in Furunzi from 2007 to 2019, when the church was closed and moved to Shakahola,” the ODPP said on an X post.
Mackenzie asserted in his testimony that he received divine guidance to close the church and move the congregation to Shakahola.
He further stated that he had acquired land within the Shakahola forest, which he presented as an area devoid of governmental oversight, providing the community with an opportunity to worship and reside without interruption.
“The witness further stated that Mackenzie discouraged worship in urban areas, teaching that towns were filled with distractions such as government presence, education, and materialism, which went against the spiritual teachings Mackenzie promoted. He also mentioned that Mackenzie’s sermons often focused on the end times, urging followers to distance themselves from worldly concerns,” the ODPP added.
“The witness explained that Mackenzie used the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the suspension of churches and public gatherings during the lockdown, as a tool to convince his followers that the world was nearing its end,” said the ODPP
The witness indicated that this situation caused many people to place their trust in Mackenzie and subsequently accompany him to Shakahola.
Furthermore, the witness revealed that he had served as a security guard in Shakahola, responsible for observing the presence of outsiders and herders in the vicinity.
He also mentioned that he was provided with a motorcycle, which he used to transport the bodies of those who succumbed to fasting. The proceedings of the case are ongoing.