APOSTOLIC Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) leader Bishop Johannes Ndanga says he is shocked by the accusations made by members of the Johanne Masowe eChishanu to the effect that he banned the apostolic sect from conducting church activities. Feluna Nleya
The Vapostori, through their lawyers Obey Shava and Andrew Makoni of Mbidzo, Muchadehama last week threatened to approach the Constitutional Court if Ndanga did not, within five days, lift the ban he purportedly imposed on their sect.
But in response to the Vapostori, Ndanga denied banning the apostolic sect and accused the Vapostori lawyers of misleading their clients.
The ACCZ leader charged that he had visited the Johanne Masowe eChishanu shrine in Budiriro high density suburb at the “command” of the Zimbabwe Republic Police who were probing the activities of the apostolic sect which stands accused of violating women and children’s rights.
Ndanga’s lawyers said the ACCZ leader never made allegations against the Vapostori except the accusations which the police were investigating.
“Our client believes that your clients, some of whom are fugitives from justice, are hallucinating in a bid to manufacture a case out of nothing and as a publicity gimmick that people are divorced from the issues which the police are investigating against them,” reads the letter.
Recently in a letter directed to Ndanga, sect members said the ban imposed by Ndanga infringed on their freedoms of conscience and religion which were guaranteed by the country’s Constitution and wanted him to lift the ban.
The sect also challenged Ndanga to prove that he was representing President Robert Mugabe and others members of the Presidium when he purportedly banned the church.
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They also argued that Ndanga had no legal authority to ban their sect and the allegations raised against them were malicious.
At least seven anti-riot police officers, journalists and members of the ACCZ were seriously injured on May 30 this year when rowdy members of the sect attacked them.
