Mashudu Netsianda Senior Reporter
POLICE have closed the Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa (AFMA) church in Bulawayo’s Lobengula Extension suburb and turned away congregants that came for prayers yesterday in a development lawyers from the church’s rival camps said was illegal. The police maintained that the move was necessary to save lives and property after law enforcement agents fought running battles with members from rival AFMA camps.
The church has since the beginning of 2014 been rocked by an acrimonious leadership wrangle with rival camps, one led by recently ousted overseer Reverend Tony Tshuma and another one which is in support of a take-over by Rev Clement Nyathi.
Lawyers representing the two camps said the move by the police to close the church was illegal.
Vonani Majoko, lawyer for the Tshuma faction, said there was no court order stating that the church should be closed. “There was no court order authorising police to close the church at all. I suppose it’s a desperate attempt to save lives and property following the acts of violence perpetrated by a rival group fighting my clients. The ruling by Justice Nokuthula Moyo didn’t order police to close the church,” he said.
Norman Mugiya, who is the legal representative for the Nyathi group, said they were working to ensure that the church is re-opened. “The judge didn’t order the closure of the church, but because of the violence that rocked the church following a ruling that was in favour of my client, police had to act in that manner. We’re however, looking into this issue so that the church can be re-opened,” said Mugiya.
When The Chronicle news crew visited the church yesterday, there was no activity save for police guarding the premises.
The gates to the building were under lock and key.
Bulawayo metropolitan provincial police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo said they deployed officers to maintain law and order.
“Our presence at the church building is to protect the property and ensure that there’s law and order following recent violence. As police we don’t condone uncouth behaviour and we urge people to abide by the law. The matter is still at the courts and we want to make sure that there’s no contempt of court by either of the rival groups fighting over the property hence we will not leave the church building until the courts make a decision,” said Insp Moyo.
Last week, anti-riot police with sniffer dogs cordoned off the area surrounding the church after church members allegedly assaulted a police officer during the skirmishes.
The clashes left doors, windows and musical instruments damaged at the 5,000 seater church building.
The violence followed Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Moyo’s ruling that the Nyathi faction should take charge of the church. The Tshuma camp refused to vacate the church, saying Justice Lawrence Kamocha ruled in their favour last year.
Nyathi’s group had to bring in hundreds of its members from as far as Mhondoro and Harare in hired buses for the confrontation.
The church, led by the late Rev Philemon Sibanda, broke away from the original Apostolic Faith Church in Pelandaba in 1985 and with his sympathisers formed their own church at Lobengula Extension, renaming it Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa.
The Apostolic Faith Church in Pelandaba was founded in Zimbabwe by the late Rev Morgan Sengwayo in 1955.