The Sunday Mail
Leisure Reporter
Observers point out that there is more to the Bev-Magaya fall-out with suggestions that prophets Magaya and Makandiwa are locked in a battle for prophetic turf. Suspicions are rife that the two are out to prove their powers to convert heathens and have turned to the secular world, especially celebrities, to help lend credibility to their gospel.
Whilst Makandiwa might have been the first out of the blocks, luring Leonard Zhakata into United Family International Church (UFIC), his handling of Zhakata’s conversion was subtle and details of any financial benefits, that is assuming any financial favours exchanged hands, were not made public. In any case, if any such financial favours were given, Zhakata, given his introverted personality, would be unlikely to make it public.
Magaya countered the Makandiwa move by luring Nicholas Zacharia into his praise-and-worship team. Unfortunately, the media proved disinterested in Zacharia’s conversion given his struggling music career. Reports emanating from Magaya’s PHD suggest that Zacharia has since left the congregation after his backing boys, Khiama Boys, asked him if they should starve to death on the altar of repentance.
Magaya then went for Beverley Sibanda, the raunchiest dancer the country has seen since Sandra Ndebele came at the turn of the millennium. Bev’s conversion hit the headlines and immediately threw Magaya into the limelight, for a time overshadowing Makandiwa.
After failing to meet the weekly financial obligations on which he seems to have contracted with Bev and her manager the relationship began to turn sour. At one point Bev was allegedly assaulted by the prophet’s bodyguards. Compounding the problems was Bev’s exuberant personality that proved difficult to control. While Zhakata is the epitome of composure Bev is completely the opposite.
When it became apparent to the Magaya camp that they were losing the publicity blitz, more so on the back of Makandiwa’s Judgement Night (2) whose figures of attendance range from anything between 100 000 and 150 000, the Magaya camp tried the “TB Joshua coming to town” trick. TB Joshua’s church denied the claim much to Magaya’s embarrassment. Oscar Pambuka, the then PHD official spokesperson, was relieved of his duties.
As Bev returns to the stage, it seems Makandiwa remains in the lead.
What Bev got from Magaya
Bev was promised a weekly allowance of $200, whilst each of the five girls who make up The Sexy Angels got $70 each per week. For rentals, Bev got $400 per month and each of the girls got $120 to pay for their accommodation.
As seed money for the shop, Bev got $1 000 while the other girls shared another $1 000.
The initial stock was bought in Tanzania. The stock could not fill the shop and Bev was given R25 000 to top up in South Africa.
For the third trip, she was given a further R15 000 (approximately).
What Bev gets from live shows
For Harare bookings, Bev charges $600 per show, which is negotiable depending on varying factors. Out of Harare shows cost $800, plus transport.
Before she broke her dancing cycles, Bev was always booked from Tuesdays to Sundays. “Now that we are coming back, we might have to slow down on our bookings as the girls were showing fatigue in the last days,” said her manager, Harpers.
Harpers on Bev
“We met in 2010 when I was a manager for a club in Westlea and we clicked. Since then I have become a brother to her, a personal manager kind of. There is nothing that happens in her life that I don’t know of, even her boyfriends, she asks me if it is okay to date this one or that one.
“Though some have mischievously suggested that I sleep with her.
That is outrageous as I see her as my daughter, or sister. My wife and Bev are very close.
“On suggestions that Magaya might have sought sexual favours from Bev, I think that is equally outrageous because I accompanied her every time she went to visit his home.
“If anything like that happened, then it could have been after I had left the church, but still I doubt anything like that could happen.”
Biggie Chinoperekwei on Bev
“We have the recording rights for Bev and we are delighted that she is back. Maybe this could be the time to do a follow-up album to Tambirai.
“Though Bev breached so many of our contracts, both recording and performance, that is water under the bridge and we are looking forward to hosting her welcome back show.
“As promoters we have our business interests to take care of and the return of Bev is good news.”
Magaya on Bev
Prophet Magaya did not respond to questions submitted by The Sunday Mail Leisure.
Bev on son Kudzai
“Kudzie is the apple of my eye.
I am not sure what I can do for him to have a stable future but I will make sure he has the best of what I can provide. Kudzie is the son of DJ Sato, a club DJ in town and though our relationship has broken down, we still co-operate here and there to make sure that he gets the best out of life.”
