HARARE High Court judge Justice David Mangota yesterday dismissed, with costs, an Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) Waterfalls church application seeking to have the provincial church leadership and police interdicted from interfering with their freedom of worship.
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
Waterfalls parishioners through their lawyer Advocate Taona Sibanda had claimed in their application that the national leadership was working in cahoots with police and a Harare East overseer to block them from using their church building for prayers and church services.
Justice Mangota, however, dismissed the application with costs, saying Christians should be able to use internal remedies to settle disputes than rushing to the courts for redress, particularly in cases that lacked legal argument.
AFM was represented by Advocates Thabani Mpofu and Nelson Chamisa under instructions from Tendai Mberi. w “We are pleased with the outcome and are happy that the matter has been brought to a closure on who has control of the properties,” Chamisa said.
The parishioners, through Hectar Takawira, had claimed that the respondents in the matter, had through their agents, earlier locked them out in order to unlawfully deprive them peaceful and undisturbed occupation.
Keep Reading
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
They added the respondents violently opened the church, destroying the locks, which they had earlier put on the doors and proceeded to enter the church building.