DISGRUNTLED members of the Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa Church, have taken their new church leader, Rosewell Zulu, to court challenging his right to lead them.
BY SILAS NKALA
Zulu took over as leader of the Bulawayo-based church following the death of its founder, Tony Tshuma.
The church has been riddled with serious infighting and legal battles between the then Tshuma-led faction and Clement Nyathi and has several pending court cases concerning the ownership and leadership of the church.
In a new twist, last month, two church members aligned to Nyathi, Claudius Manamela and Brighton Nanga, filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court challenging Zulu’s takeover.
They cited Zulu, AFM of Africa, the late Tshuma’s estate and officer commanding police Bulawayo as respondents. The duo is demanding nullification of Zulu’s appointment as president and overseer of the church, nullification of the board of trustees, council of elders and their agents.
The applicants also sought for the respondents to be interdicted from visiting, interfering, presenting or purporting to act as the members of the church.
In his founding affidavit, Manamela submitted that Zulu was unprocedurally appointed as president of the church.
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“First respondent and his followers are part of the church known as AFM of Africa, which they formed during the days of … Tshuma, who has since passed on. Despite forming a separate church in 2008 and further amended its constitution in 2012, the first respondent and their followers remained using the premises of the AFM of Africa.”
AFM of Africa was formed in 1986 following a break away from AFM of Portland Oregon (Southern Africa), which was formed by late Morgan Sengwayo.
The respondents are yet to file their response to the application.
