Anglican Church moves to seize properties from Kunonga

Anglican Church moves to seize properties from Kunonga

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By Lebo Nkatazo

THE Anglican Church will on Monday file an urgent court application seeking to reprise control of the Harare diocese from the controversial bishop Nolbert Kunonga, who has been banished from the church.

The Anglican Church, also known by the full name of African Province of Central Africa, wants to seize three vehicles from Kunonga and bar him from using any of its properties.

The Church is making the dramatic move after Kunonga – a keen supporter of President Robert Mugabe -- controversially withdrew the Harare diocese from the church for failing to censure bishops sympathetic to homosexuality.

The Anglican Church has engaged Harare law firm Gill Godlonton & Gerrans to pursue the controversial cleric before the “funds and investments are spirited away”.

Documents seen by our correspondent show that the Anglican Church is seeking an order barring Kungonga from accessing the Church’s bank accounts, transacting with the Church’s investments and “from working and or doing business from any of the Church’s immovable properties wherever situate”.

The properties include Paget House offices at 87 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue (Harare), St Barnabas (Westwood, Harare), 23 Barrymoral Road (Vainona, Harare), 123 Union Avenue (Harare), Bishop Mount being the residential property, colleges and chapel (Harare), and 9 Cortmen Road (Mt Pleasant, Harare).

The church is also seeking to repossess three cars from Kunonga, a Mazda 626, a Toyota Fortuner and a Toyota Hillux single cab.

“Following Kungonga’s withdrawal from the Church of the Province of Central Africa, he has no right to remain in possession of the Church’s assets including the bank’s funds, investments, movable and immovable assets,” lawyers said in papers to be filed at the High Court Monday.

“The Church entertains a well founded fear that Kungonga will fund his new ministry with the Church’s resources as he has access to the Church’s investments and funds.”

Kungonga used an interview with Zimbabwe’s state media last week to defend his anti-homosexuality stance.

He said: “We are inspired and motivated by our beliefs in the scriptures, our beliefs as Catholic Christians and our beliefs as human beings that homosexuality cannot be accepted because it takes away our human dignity and it is not accepted in the Constitution of our country, and it is inconceivable in our cultural background.

”It is unthinkable that a man could undress in the presence of another man and a woman can undress for another woman. So it’s an abomination not only from the scripture point of view, but also from the cultural, political set-up in which we are operating. All these are violated by thinking or intending or compromising with homosexuality.”

Kunonga said a resolution by the Anglican Church against homosexuality at the just-ended Synod “has no consequence, no bearing”.

“People who belong to homosexual movements from England, America and other European countries have poured in a great deal of money and diluted the stand of the Province,” he claimed. “So the resolution that was made is just a resolution.”
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