Pastor or Con Artist? SDA Leader Flees to South Africa with Parishioners’ Hard-Earned Cash
A Chegutu Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) pastor, Fortunate Mawowa, is on the run after allegedly deceiving church members into investing in a fraudulent scheme. According to H-Metro, Mawowa convinced churchgoers to invest more than $40,000 into his scheme but failed to pay them back after the investments matured. When he was confronted about the money, he claimed that he was ill and then disappeared to South Africa without any explanation or payment to the investors.
“I’m going to seek specialist medical treatment”
One of Mawowa’s congregants and victims stated,
“We have been duped of our hard-earned money after being sweet talked into investing in his bogus scheme. He bought a nice car and had a white wedding, which attracted so many people, using our investment funds. Problems started when our investments matured, and we needed to be paid. He then started talking about being sick and sending apology text messages. After realizing that he was under pressure, he then went to South Africa under the disguise that he was going to see a specialist doctor.”
Victims seek justice
Mawowa went to South Africa in May last year and can no longer be reached. Some victims have reportedly been approaching Mawowa’s mother to demand their money back but have been unsuccessful in their attempts.
One of the victims of the scam commented,
“I never thought that our pastor, who we trusted so much, would do such a thing to us. We invested our hard-earned money, hoping to make a profit, but instead, we lost everything. I hope the authorities will help us recover our money and bring this pastor to justice.”
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has yet to comment on the matter, and it remains unclear whether they will take any action against Mawowa.
In conclusion, Mawowa’s scheme is a tragic example of how people can be exploited when they put their trust in the wrong individuals. It is essential to do research and due diligence before investing in any scheme to avoid being scammed. It is also essential to report any fraudulent activity to the authorities immediately to prevent others from being victimized.