Paul Nyathi|President Mnangagwa has expressed dismay over the continued existence of conflict between members of the Gospel of God Church International 1932 (GGCI) Johanne Masowe church’s two factions.
The two factions have been fighting over rights to visit a shrine with Johane Masowe’s grave at Gandanzara and the matter has spilled into the courts.
Although the High Court gave the two factions equal opportunity to visit the shrine in 2017, there has been tension ever since.
In an address at the annual synod of the church at the Johane Masowe Gandanzara shrine in Makoni district yesterday that was made on his behalf by Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, President Mnangagwa said he is worried over the church’s continued feuding.
“I am worried about the tension within the church. You should not be fighting among yourselves. You should be uniting to fight whoever is promoting these divisions. The fact that this other faction is camped right outside this shrine is a recipe for conflict. I have heard your plea to have a police station established here because it is important to have it nearby to ensure that there are no confrontations,” the President said.
“Differences exist, but it is how we solve the problems that arise from those differences. We want to find amicable solutions to these problems without fighting.”
The High Court ruling in 2917 came after a fierce legal fight pitting the two factions, one led by Vendiseni Mungweru and the other under the stewardship of Rodgers Masawi. The ruling meant that the Mungweru-led faction returns to the shrine after 17 years since their banishment in 2000.
Justice Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa granted an urgent application by the Mungweru-led faction after carrying out an inspection in loco at the shrine. This was, however, appealed against at the Supreme Court, prompting the factions to apply for leave to execute their judgment. Justice Happias Zhou, who presided over the fresh urgent chamber application on Friday, granted the relief sought.
“Paragraph 1-7 of the interim relief of the provisional order granted by Justice Munangati-Manongwa in case No8653/17 on September 23 shall remain in operation and applicants are hereby granted leave to execute that portion of the provisional order notwithstanding the noting of appeal filed by the respondent under case No 720/17. The provisional order issued in this matter shall not be suspended by the noting of appeal to Supreme Court,” he said.
Through its lawyer Advocate Nelson Mashizha, the Mungweru faction argued that the GGCI noted an appeal against a provisional order issued by Justice Munangati-Manongwa. The order, stated Adv Mashizha in his papers, had granted his clients access to the Gandanzara shrine for the annual synod, which runs from September 23 to October 4 every year.
At the time of the noting of the appeal, the provisional order had been partly executed, with the officer commanding Rusape district deploying over 50 police officers at the shrine. It was also argued that the majority members of the Mungweru-led faction were already at the shrine and had pitched their tents for worshipping in preparation for September 28.
September 28 is the church’s most important day when members from all over the country and some from as far as Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and Australia visit the shrine and view Johane Masowe’s grave.
Mnangagwa the church to take a leading role in unifying the country to ensure the achievement of development goals set out by his administration. the relationship that exists between the Church and the Government dates back many years and should be valued.
“As the Church you are important because without your support, we are like fish without water. Long ago before Zanu-PF was formed, Baba Johane Masowe had already begun the revolution. He had a direct relationship with God and he knew that he had to fight for black people’s dignity which had been compromised by the white Rhodesians. This is the role that the church plays in our lives, that of restoring our dignity,” he said
“We have a vision of uniting Zimbabweans regardless of their religious beliefs. We can all pray to God in our different ways. If we are united in prayer, we can foster development.”