Bishop Chad Gandiya of Harare today issued an open letter to stress the difference between the Church of the Province of Central Africa dioceses in Zimbabwe and the churches run by an excommunicated former bishop.
The Most Revd Dr. Thabo Makgoba, the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, today called on President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe to put an end to police persecution of the church there. He was reacting to the action of police in stopping the annual prayer retreat of clergy from the Diocese of Harare.
Stories of child abuse and neglect at an Anglican orphanage have tempered Zimbabwe Anglican's celebrations at legal decisions provisionally returning church property to them.
On the day that an Anglican priest accused of stealing his own church property was released without charge, thugs broke into the home of the Bishop of Harare but take only money and communications equipment.
Police today arrested Reverend Julius Zimbudzana, the priest in charge at St Mary’s Anglican Church, for allegedly taking over Anglican church property worth over US$1.5 million as police intensified their persecution of the Anglican Church, hiding behind unjust court rulings.
Beatings and evictions of Anglican priests in Zimbabwe have caused the Church there to appeal a legal decision to give custody of its property to excommunicated bishop Dr Nolbert Kunonga.
An Anglican priest in Zimbabwe and his family have been evicted from their home by priests loyal to excommunicated bishop Dr Nolbert Kunonga. Others across the diocese have also been ordered to leave.
Anglican priests and their families in Zimbabwe may face eviction following a High Court ruling awarding custodianship of Anglican church properties to excommunicated bishop Dr Nolbert Kunonga.
Clergy and pilgrims hoping to visit the Arthur Shearly Cripps Shrine last week were once again frustrated by excommunicated bishop Dr Norbert Kunonga who now claims to be in charge of the shrine and 78 Anglican churches in Masvingo Diocese.
Tens of thousands of people--including all Central Africa bishops--flocked to the Bernard Mizeki celebrations in Zimbabwe this weekend, despite being denied access to the shrine itself by the authorities.
For the second year running, Anglicans in Zimbabwe have been forced to find another place to mark the memorial of African martyr Bernard Mizeki after being denied access to their official shrine.
Sixteen church-goers have been arrested and priests have been turned out of their homes in Zimbabwe’s Diocese of Harare – where the Anglican Church is facing persecution at the hands of an ex-communicated bishop.
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The New York Times' Celia W. Dugger writes that as President Robert Mugabe, 87, pushes for an election this year, the harassment of independent churches seen as hostile to his government has intensified.
