Staff Reporter
A bitter power struggle has engulfed the Africa Apostolic Church, founded by Archbishop Paul Mwazha, ahead of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s visit to the Ndarikure Shrine on August 30.
The conflict, which has escalated into gunfire and destruction, threatens to mar the President’s visit and cast a dark shadow over the annual church gathering.Two factions within the church, led by Reverend Nyika Murisi and Enerst Mhambare/Kurauone Sibanda, respectively, are engaged in a fierce turf war.Murisi’s faction, claiming permission from Archbishop Mwazha, has been preparing for the conference scheduled for August 30 to September 1.
However, Mhambare and Sibanda’s faction has allegedly disrupted these preparations, leading to a dangerous escalation of violence.In a letter to Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga, Murisi’s lawyers, Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, detailed the alarming situation.”On August 19, Sibanda and his supporters, armed with a JCB machine and grader, destroyed the church’s functioning toilets at the Ndarikure Shrine,” the letter states.
The destruction continued, with Sibanda allegedly digging trenches across roads leading to the shrine to block access.The church’s leadership has been urged to intervene and resolve the conflict before it’s too late. The President’s visit, meant to be a peaceful and spiritual occasion, now hangs in the balance.
