Twenty seven pastors from the Anglican Church of  Zimbabwe have been kicked out of their homes by supporters of the renegade bishop Nolbert Kunonga since the Supreme Court ruling that put the properties of the Church in the hands of the disobedient clergy.

In an interview with The Zimbabwean Reverend Clifford Dzavo the Diocese of Harare Secretary said that the church is worried by the manner that Kunonga has been evicting its members and not following procedure. “Kunonga has issued illegal eviction orders which he did not get through the courts, Kunonga and his priests are delivering eviction notices in the company of the police who are aware that there must be a deputy sheriff.”

According to last year’s High Court judgment, Kunonga is supposed to engage a deputy sheriff when he seeks eviction of the pastors. However, Dzavo said that Kunonga has not followed that. “They were harassing our pastors and some have like Reverend Jonah Mudowaya of Chinhoyi was severely beaten by Kunonga pastors,” said Dzavo.

Similar incidents, says Dzavo, have happened throughout the country as Kunonga, who has been given impetus by the Supreme Court, seeks to purge the Church. “In Highfields, Southerton, and St. Johns Chikwakwa and in Mhondoro and a number of schools they have been invading and ejecting the pastors.”

Apart from targeting schools, Dzavo said that Kunonga has been milking the Church dry as he has been in control of schools and other church properties. “We made an urgent chamber application because our rights have been tampered. Our right  to not recognize Kunonga and the six rebels have been tampered. They have been given that power by the judgment that Chief Chidyausiku gave. Constitutionally, we are not obliged to recognize them,” said Dzavo.