Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president Johannes Ndanga yesterday claimed that power struggles currently rocking his organisation were being fuelled by Zanu PF and MDC-T infiltrators seeking to control its membership.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
Ndanga told NewsDay in an interview that his former deputy Elliot Mugwambi, who is also a member of the Central Intelligence Organisation, was a “double agent batting for both the State and the opposition”.
“It is basically a fight between a faction of ACCZ that is being funded by the opposition MDC-T and fronted by Mugwambi. He works in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), but also for the MDC-T. I have been warned before that my days are numbered by the opposition, but I did not take it seriously,” Ndanga said.
He accused Mugwambi of swindling desperate home-seekers in the name of ACCZ.
“He was getting 20% on every stand. Mugwambi must explain where he put that money than this mudslinging he is trying against me,” the ACCZ leader said.
Mugwambi confirmed getting “a thank-you commission”, but denied being a member of the CIO.
“I only worked with ACCZ for a year in 2011, but continued to direct people who wanted stands to the organisation. They (ACCZ) then realised I was bringing in a lot of business and made a decision to give me a thank-you. I would then get 20% as a small commission as appreciation of my work,” Mugwambi said.
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“It is a lie that I work for the OPC or the intelligence. It is also a lie that I am connected to the MDC-T. Our fight with Ndanga relates to the fact that he has turned the ACCZ into a private company and a personal vehicle to make money.”
NewsDay is in possession of a letter presumably written by the Public Service Commission accusing Mugwambi of “withholding funds from home-seekers”.
The letter was signed by an executive assistant identified as Bhebhe from the Tourism ministry.
Ndanga has been accused of corruption and abuse of office by a group of bishops led by Mugwambi, but the ACCZ leader said he was being persecuted for aligning with the ruling party.
“I will not apologise for associating the ACCZ with Zanu PF. The opposition knows that we are apostolic sects aligned to the ruling party and wants to destroy us. They have planted people in our organisation, but it must be known that the church and the State’s conflated situation is not new,” he said.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu distanced his party from the fights at ACCZ.
“We are not party to any fights in any religious grouping. The last thing we would want as a God-fearing political party is to interfere in the operations of any religious organisation,” Gutu said.
“It is totally untrue. The MDC is a tolerant organisation regarding issues of religion.”
