The Anglican leaders in the Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA) rebuked Bishop Nolbert Kunonga for preaching partisan politics from the pulpit. They decided that he was not fit to be a bishop of the Anglican Church and dethroned him in January 2008.

Kunonga did not accept his dethronement. He  left the Church with about 50 followers to form the Anglican Church of the Province of Zimbabwe (CPZ). CPCA excommunicated him and consecrated retired Bishop Sebastian Bakare to replace him.

The CPCA also was in dispute with Bishop Elson Jakazi over custody and control  of the Diocese of Manicaland. Jakazi, reportedly following Kunonga’s example, withdrew himself and the Mutare diocese from the CPCA in 2007.

A judge ordered in January 2008 that the Anglican Church of the Province of Zimbabwe must share the use of church buildings with the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa.

Mr. Kunonga’s aim, he and his adviser Rev. Admire Chisango, said, is for CPZ to control about 3,000 churches, schools, hospitals and other properties in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Malawi.

In August 2011, the country’s Chief Justice ruled that all Anglican property in the Harare Diocese was under Kunonga’s custody.

But in November 2012,  Nolbert Kunonga ultimately lost the dispute between him and the Church of the Province of Central Africa’s Bishop Chad Gandiya at the Supreme Court.