Anglican Church Moves to Seize Control From Bishop Kunonga

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION reports news releases from SW Radio Africa News, 12th October 2007. - Distributed by allAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com) also reported by the Harare Independent (allafrica.com/stories/200710120768.html)

From SW Radio Africa News - By Lance Guma: ‘The controversial reign of Harare Bishop Nolbert Kunonga might be coming to an end if the Anglican Church has its way in court. The Church will now seek court intervention to seize control of its assets from Kunonga.’
ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes: It appears that the Province of Central Africa is now acting in concert with the diocese of Harare, since The Rt Rev’d Nolbert Kunonga declared unilaterally that the Diocese of Harare was seceding from the Province of Central Africa amid a welter of accusations from Kunonga accusing a number of his fellow Bishops and others of being gay, pro- gay or funding gay activities. See earlier ANGLICAN-INFORMATION articles (www.anglican-information-archive.org)

‘In papers submitted by lawyers the Church says it has a well-founded fear that the bishop, will fund his new ministry with the Church's resources as he has access to the Church's investments and funds.' continues reporter Lance Guma in the article.

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION comments: Kunonga has had very close relations with the President of Zimbabawe, Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF the government party. He is thought to be planning a breakaway Province and claims the support of the diocese of Central Zimbabwe and Manicaland. The other Zimbabwean dioceses have disavowed him.

According to the Lance Guma news article: ‘The Province wants him (Kunonga) to hand over church property including 3 vehicles, a Mazda 626, a Toyota Fortuner and a Toyota Hillux single cab. The court application will seek to bar Kunonga from accessing bank accounts and church investments, and from using church property. Harare law firm Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans have been brought in to represent the church, and they will argue that since Kunonga withdrew the diocese from the church he has no right to remain in charge of its assets.’

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION says: Kunonga is reported as describing the action as “the joke of the century”. He does, of course, have a good deal of experience in dodging serious court cases. The then Archbishop of the Province of Central Africa, Bernard Malango, absolved Kunonga unilaterally and illegally from a serious case brought against him in 2005 by parishioners, including charges of incitement to murder.

Reporter Constantine Chimkure also writes in The Zimbabwe Independent (which is not a government paper): ‘The Province has concluded that Kunonga's action is of the effect that the Harare diocese is no longer part of the Church. The legal process in motion is meant to regain control of the diocese.

The Province through lawyers Gill, Godlonton & Gerrans wrote to Kunonga this week asking him to surrender the church's property and divest himself of the rights of being a signatory to the diocese of Harare's bank accounts and investments.

"We are instructed that despite your withdrawal from our client you continue to conduct Episcopal duties in the diocese of Harare and administrative business at our client's premises at Paget House (Harare)," wrote the lawyers. "We are also instructed that you remain in possession and continue to use our client's motor vehicles……”.

The lawyers said they were instructed that Kunonga was enjoying access to the Diocesan and Provincial bank accounts being an ordinary and a foreign currency account held by the Diocesan Trust and Central Funds with the Standard Chartered Bank, Unity Square branch in Harare.

Further, Kunonga, the lawyers said, also had access and was a signatory to the diocesan investments with Imara Asset Managers and with Kingdom Asset Management.

"We are instructed that all these assets described above are held in trust by the Diocesan Trust for the benefit of the diocese of Harare but remain the property of our client, Church of the Province of Central Africa," reads the letter.

The lawyers ordered Kunonga to complete the necessary documentation to remove his name as signatory to church investments.
"Following your withdrawal from our client it follows therefore that you must immediately complete the necessary document to divest yourself of the rights of being a signatory to the two accounts held by the diocese of Harare with Standard Chartered Bank of Zimbabwe.

"In the same vein there is no justification for your continued conduct of Episcopal duties as diocesan bishop and any other business at our client's premises wherever situated and particularly from the Paget House offices," the letter reads. "The motor vehicles described above in your use can no longer be left at your disposal in the circumstances."

The lawyers gave Kunonga up to Tuesday to write to them undertaking to cooperate with the church to sign all necessary documents relinquishing his position as a signatory to the bank accounts and investments.’

Constantine Chimakure continues: ‘The lawyers said Kunonga's failure to respond to their letter would force them to make a court application to protect their client's interests. However, Kunonga did not respond to the letter.

Documents in the possession of the Zimbabwe Independent reveal that the Province of Central Africa will soon file an urgent High Court application to force Kunonga to surrender the church assets.

In a certificate of urgency signed by Simon Sadomba of Gill, Godlonton & Gerrans, the Church avers that the assets in question were the sole benefit of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, which in turn allocated them to the Harare diocese for use.
"The assets," read the certificate, "are held in trust by the Diocesan Trust."’

Finally the article concludes: ‘Harare Diocese Trust vice chairperson Philip Mutasa yesterday confirmed the pending court action against Kunonga, but said he was not at liberty to disclose information on the matter.
Mutasa said: "We will follow the instructions of the Province. A resolute statement will be issued shortly by the Province."’

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that it seems that now Bernard Malango’s influence is on the wane the other Bishops in the Province are gaining confidence to rectify some of the enormities of Malango’s regime. These have included contriving to overthrow the election of the Rev’d Nicholas Henderson as bishop of Lake Malawi, (something which has never been accepted by the people who are still fighting for their bishop); of arranging for the effective deposition of Bishop Trevor Mwamba, Bishop of Botswana, as Dean of the Province, of being involved in financial irregularities in Zambia and of supporting Kunonga in his despotic and politically motivated tenure as Bishop of Harare.

At last the bishops of the Province seem to be stirring out of their quiescent compliance to former Archbishop Malango and Kunonga’s support of him. Kunonga has been a constant intimidatory presence at Provincial Meetings of the bishops and the Pastoral Statement from the bishops, implicitly backing the Mugabe regime, as issued from Harare on 19th April 2007, is but one example.

The SW Radio Africa article concludes: ‘The Harare bishop has for years dominated headlines with his blunt support for violent land grabs that saw him receive a farm from government as a 'thank you' gesture. He has faced allegations of using state security agents to harass, intimidate and even threaten death on those parishioners who opposed his rule. To ensure support for his reign as bishop he has planted his supporters in positions of authority in the different parishes across Harare. Those victim to his threats have meanwhile fled the country fearing for their lives. But his latest decision to withdraw the diocese from the Province has backfired and offered a legal route for the Church to expel him.’

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION says: The Malango/Kunonga close working relationship has bedeviled the Province of Central Africa for years as the other bishops have been intimidated into silence and inaction to right grave injustices. Ironically, it has been the laity who have had the courage to stand up both to Kunoga in Harare, Zimbabwe and Malango in Lake Malawi. Only latterly, Bishop Trevor Mwamba of Botswana has also paid a heavy price for opposing Malango and Kunonga’s wishes. Hopefully this tragic era is now coming to an end and sanity will return to the Province of Central Africa - but be warned Kunonga is a dangerous man, backed by Robert Mugabe and his secret police, as those who are now living in exile know to their cost.

Watch and pray for the Province and people.

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