The head of the Masvingo diocese from the Gandiya led faction, Godfrey Tawonezvi, confirmed the incident. He said parishioners from Chad Gandiya’s faction were worshipping at Liebenberg School in Chivhu following the invasion of St Cyril Church by John Tichasvikepi Shumba who is aligned to renegade Bishop Norbert Kunonga.
“Shumba has moved to St Cyril Church and is now using the church building as a place of residence. Shumba and his wife have turned the vestry into their bedroom. The sanctuary is being used as the kitchen while his children are using the other half of the church as their bedroom,” said Tawonezvi.
He said Shumba was boastful of Kunonga’s strong links with influential politicians as well as the ex-communicated bishop’s support from the Zimbabwe Republic Police which has often come under fire for its partisan approach to the Anglican saga.
“He has boasted that he belongs to a powerful faction with links to the political leadership and the police and that no amount of effort will move him away from the church which he now claims is his home,” said Tawonezvi.
St Cyril Church in Chivhu was seized by priests aligned to the Kunonga faction in September this year and the move left parishioners aligned to the
Gandiya faction with no place to worship.
The grabbing of St Cyril Church was followed by the seizure of St Francis Church last month. Parishioners from both seized churches are now worshipping at Liebenberg School.
Both seizures of the Anglican Church properties in Chivhu occurred in the presence of armed police officers who were claiming Kunonga is the rightful owner of Anglican Church properties in Zimbabwe.
Mashonaland East Province police spokesperson, Bulisani Bhebhe, has often defended the police action saying their presence during the eviction was to guard against a possible outbreak of violence.
Tawonezvi revealed that St Francis Church has remained closed since its seizure in October this year.
“As for St Francis church, it is still locked because Kunonga does not have followers and no-one comes there to worship. We have been threatened with unspecified action if we return to worship at the church,” said Tawonezvi.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that Anglican Church properties in Manicaland be returned to the Gandiya-led faction of the Anglican Church while a decision on Harare is yet to be made.
Post published in: News