Seventh-Day Adventist Church elder arrested for threatening pastor

Out-going church elder for Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Namiwawa, Blantyre is currently in police custody for allegedly threatening the church’s pastor and elders.

Nedi Kachimanga, 47, and expected to end his tenure as church elder this month end, was arrested on Wednesday at around 4pm, Blantyre police have confirmed.

Blantyre police Public Relations officer, Elizabeth Divala said Kachimanga allegedly sent threats to his pastor, Masco S. Chataika and a new elder a Mr. Eneya through mobile phone Short Message Service
(SMSs).

“He has been charged with the offence of Intimidation,” said Divala.

Kachimanga and his accomplices (currently not identified) sent SMSs threatening Chataika and Eneya on the night of Monday (08th December, 2015) and in the morning of Wednesday (09th December, 2015) following long-standing disagreement over church affairs.

They sent the alleged SMSs through a new Sim Card and thereafter dumped it after use. Currently law-enforcers are hunting for his accomplices.

Kachimanga- an electrical contractor by profession- is expected to leave the position of church elder during elections set for 31^st December, 2015.

Information Nyasa Times has sourced and verified, indicate that Kachimanga and pastor Chataika never see each other eye-to-eye especially over church finances.

Kachimanga is not new to controversy, as he is reported to have man-handled Chataika’s predecessor. Chataika joined the church in July this year.

Nedi Kachimanga hails from Kabwazi village, T/A Makwangwala in Ntcheu district.