Bishop Maponga Biography Facts
Joshua Maponga, born on 18 July 1973, is a 48-year-old Zimbabwean former Seventh Day Adventist Bishop, Philosopher, Writer, and Motivational Speaker. He is best known for his controversial theological philosophy and views about Jesus Christ.
Biography Profile
Full name: Joshua Marara Maponga III
Date of birth: 18 July 1973
Age: 48 years old
Place of birth: Masvingo, Masvingo Province
Nationality: Zimbabwean
Parents: Lazarus Maponga and Sibanda Maponga
Spouse: Matlali Solfafa – Maponga
Occupation: Bishop, Philosopher, Motivational Speaker and Writer
Personal life of Joshua Maponga
Joshua Marara Maponga III is a 48-year-old Zimbabwean philosopher, theologian, writer and motivational speaker. He was born on 18 July 1973 in Masvingo, Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe.
He is the firstborn and the oldest of five children of his father Lazarus Maponga and his mother Sibanda Maponga. Joshua has two daughters from his first marriage. He moved to South Africa then to Swaziland then to London and later to United Kingdom at the end of 1998. [ ³]
Education of Maponga
Maponga attended Solusi Adventist Secondary School and Solusi University. He furthered his studies at Andrews University Berrien Springs Michigan USA. Maponga said he had wanted to do engineering or medicine, but his father pushed him to theology.
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So Maponga holds a Degree in Philosophy (BA theology) and Personal Ministries. He went to attain his CET (Construction Entrepreneurial Training) – an ILO (International Labour organisation) initiative to develop local consultants and support for emerging contractors and manufacturers.
Ministering career of Maponga
Joshua Maponga followed the footsteps of his father who was a pastor. His father chose to become a pastor after being released from Rhodesian prison where he was held for political reasons. He was released from prison and death row following 1979 amnesty.
For this reason his father encouraged his first born son Joshua to stay far away from politics. Initially Joshua had chosen to study engineering or medicine but his father steered him to study theology and philosophy. After his studies Joshua continued in pastoral work at Seventh Day Adventist church (SDA) for 33 years. He was later elevated to a position of a Bishop Pentecostal and Evangelical community.
In 2020 Maponga was suspended from attending and ministering at SDA for preaching a complete different message. In a letter signed by Southern Africa Evangelism, Personal Ministries and Nurture and Retention Director, Michael Rugube Ngwaru, the SDA said it was concerned about the content of the gospel Maponga preached and the manner in which he communicated it. Therefore Maponga was banned from attending, speaking, preaching and officiating a church service in any SDA church in the southern and Indian-Ocean region of Africa. [ ⁴]
Working with organizations
Maponga has worked with organizations such as Entrepreneurial Development Southern Africa, the Seventh-day Adventist, and Global Management Centre (UK). He is well experienced in branding, banking, non-profit organizations and the project management space with multinational companies such as Vodacom, SAPO, Absa World Vision, PRASA, SALGA, Milpark College and SAPS, to mention a few.
Joshua Maponga is the founder and CEO of Institute Farmers Of Thought. He is the owner of Zimbabwe Indigenous Movement (ZIM) and “AIM” – Africa Indigenous Movement, which looks to house all of the intellectual property of how to transform Africa, a template for every other nation.
Media work of Joshua Maponga
Maponga wrote television programs and appeared in most of them. He produced, written and directed television shows and programs that appeared on Dstv and other television channels. In 2010 his show Joshua was added by One Gospel on their list of shows. His other show, Behind The Gospel, also aired on DSTv channel One Gospel. His other shows include Late debate, and Education Channel “ED” and others.
Maponga’s controversial philosophy
Maponga has a Christian-like, rastafarian and African philosophy which he preaches under the name of “the gospel according to Maponga”. He has derived his own philosophy and belief system which resembles African culture and Christian beliefs. In briefly, Maponga believes that Africans do not need to abandon their culture and traditions to believe in God.
According to Maponga Christianity was colonized by white people and was westernized. Therefore he believes that Christianity needs to be liberated from western culture. He also argues that if Jesus was white he would not have died for a black man because a white man, as far as Maponga knows, has got no heart big enough to die for a black man.
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In one of his sermons, Maponga says, “…the day a white Jesus will die for black people, I will believe in a white Jesus”. He further more accuses white people of continuously manipulate black people by promising them heaven while they loot their wealth. “…they (white people and their white Jesus) promise Africans gold in heaven while they are taking gold from Africans.
It doesn’t make sense at all that you are being promised to walk on gold in heaven while they are taking gold from you, ” says J Maponga. He says a black man is still hanging on the cross with one thief, the Europeans, on the left and another thief, the Chinese on the right stealing his minerals.
Maponga’s Homophobic Accusations
In 2018 Maponga appeared before the Port Elizabeth Equality Court in South Africa over claims that homos.e.xual people are lower than animals. Joshua Maponga admitted he may have gone too far but reiterated that he saw no reason for him to be “hanged on the cross” and expected to change church policies or the Bible. His apology to South African Human Rights Commission qoutes;
“It is unfortunate that I used the illustration of ‘dogs’ to make the point about this Bible text. I am sorry for the pain I caused and I understand the seriousness of the issue of the right to be treated with dignity and the preaching of the gospel without dehumanising other people. The extent of the damage caused by the debate and the sermon cannot be revoked.”
Extramarital affairs
In April 2021 an unnamed woman from New Castle, KwaZulu-Natal Province told Daily Sun that she was having an affair with Bishop Maponga. She claimed that she was impregnated by the former SDA Bishop Maponga but had a miscarriage. The anonymous woman continued to say Maponga was even planning to do a ceremony and rituals for their dead child.
But Maponga denied all these allegations and accused the lady of harassment and extortion. He said he only supported her T-shirts business but the lady continued to send long texts looking for financial help regarding her spiritual calling. ¹
List of books written by Maponga J III
- Going Places In The Spirit
- So You Want To Be The Master
- Shopping Skills ²
