Reverend Jonah Mudowaya was severely assaulted in Chinhoyi on Wednesday, in the latest attack on the Anglican community by Kunonga’s supporters.
Kunonga supporters have been travelling to vestries and parishes around the country, with copies of a shock Supreme Court judgement made earlier this month which gives Kunonga full custody of Anglican properties. Since then priests and their families have all come under threat by what the Anglican Diocese of Harare has called “hooligans, masquerading as clergy.”
The Supreme Court has ruled that Kunonga, together with six other trustees, is the custodian of the Anglican Church’s assets in Zimbabwe until the matter has been finalised in the courts.
The Mugabe loyal Kunonga lost a bid for re-election as Bishop of Harare in 2007, losing to Chad Gandiya. But instead of stepping down, Kunonga formed a rival Anglican faction and has been using violent tactics to remain in power.
Since the Supreme Court ruling by Chief Justice Chidyausiku on August 4th, Kunonga’s thugs have been going door to door, brandishing copies of the court’s judgement and threatening priests. Last week Reverend Dzikamai Mudenda and his family were threatened by the Kunonga mob, and were forced to flee their Mabvuku home.
Lawyers representing the Anglican Diocese of Harare have now filed a Constitutional appeal against the Supreme Court ruling, in a bid to stop the lawlessness by Kunonga and his supporters. Reverend Clifford Dzavo, the Diocesan Secretary, told SW Radio Africa on Friday that the Supreme Court had made the decision despite an appeal by the Diocese, which is itself unlawful.
“The Chief Justice ruled that while he reinstated the appeal, he categorically stated that ‘the appeal shall not suspend the operation of the order’,” Reverend Dzavo explained.
In Chidyausiku’s judgement, while acknowledging the multiple applications and counter applications by the Diocese and Kunonga, the Chief Justice ironically ruled that: “For the avoidance of doubt, the judgment will not be suspended by the noting of an appeal against it.”
The Diocese is now arguing in their Constitutional appeal that the order is null and void for being in contravention of the Constitution.
The Diocese of Harare is demanding that “Kunonga’s agents, followers, representatives should restore all property, movable or immovable which they took, seized, occupied or otherwise took possession of from the Diocese”.
Kunonga meanwhile has continued to argue in court that he should be recognised as the legitimate Bishop, which Reverend Dzavo dismissed as nothing more than a ‘gimmick’.
“This is a just a gimmick because this is all about money and taking what is not his. To us, Kunonga is history, and history is in the past,” Dzavo said.
Post published in: News