Police were called to churches around the Zimbabwean capital Harare last weekend to halt skirmishes between supporters of a bishop who is a close ally of President Robert Mugabe and followers of a rival cleric, reports said on Wednesday.
Tensions rose after followers of Anglican Bishop Nolbert Kunonga — a supporter of the 83-year-old Zimbabwean leader — insisted on holding services in Harare churches on Sunday even though Anglican authorities have decreed Kunonga is no longer a member of the church.
In September Kunonga announced he was withdrawing the Harare diocese from the Anglican Province of Central Africa, ostensibly because he opposed the church’s stance on homosexuality.
The province has since appointed a new bishop to fill Kunonga’s place.
Kunonga, a beneficiary of Mugabe’s controversial land reform programme, and his supporters have, however, refused to recognise the new cleric, Sebastian Bakare, formerly of Africa University in the eastern city of Mutare.
There were disturbances in at least seven churches on Sunday, including at the main Anglican Cathedral in the city centre, and police had to be brought in, said the government mouthpiece Herald newspaper.
Kunonga’s supporters held their service in the cathedral itself while Bakare’s followers met in the church hall, the report said.
Bakare said his parishioners had been assaulted.
This is not the first time the two camps have clashed.
Writing in an epiphany message on Saturday, Bakare said he and his followers were denied entry to a church in the plush suburb of Borrowdale on Christmas Day.
Instead of extending a hand of peace people who call themselves priests were going round leaving their own congregations unattended in order to promote violence which makes the basic purpose of Christ’s mission a scandal, said Bakare.
”We have become a laughing stock for fellow Christians from other churches and the public in general.” – Sapa-DPA