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this week evicted a priest, headmasters and  senior nursing staff at Daramombe Mission near Chivhu.

The church says this is part of a process to reclaim church properties across the country as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Priest Muyengwa Murombedzi, Daramombe headmaster, Mr Denford Javangwe, Daramombe primary school head and senior nursing staff have been evicted by the Deputy Sheriff on the basis of the Supreme Court judgment that gives custody of the property to Bishop Kunonga.

Bishop Kunonga is set to claim the Bernard Mzeki shrine in Marondera, St Johns Chikwaka Mission and Shearley Cripps Children’s Home in Murehwa using the same Supreme Court order.
In an interview on Wednesday, Bishop Kunonga said the takeover of Daramombe Mission was just the beginning of a bigger process that would see him taking custody of all the Anglican properties dotted across the country.

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He said the Supreme Court order reinstated the High Court judgment that recognised him as the legitimate custodian of the property.
The Daramombe Mission priest has since secured temporary shelter from followers in the community while the whereabouts of the headmasters and nurses were unknown yesterday after they allegedly refused to recognise Bishop Kunonga’s authority.

Bishop Kunonga on Wednesday accused his rivals, Church of the Province of Central Africa’s Harare Diocese leader, Bishop Chad Gandiya and Masvingo diocese’s Bishop Godfrey Taonezvi of selectively interpreting the Supreme Court judgment.
This follows assertions by the two bishops that the Supreme Court judgment relates to Harare province and did not spill over to jurisdiction outside Harare province.

Paragraph Three of the judgment reads: “That the Respondent (CPCA) be and is hereby ordered to give vacant possession/occupation and/control of any assets of the Applicant (Diocesan Trustees for the Diocese of Harare) which Respondent occupies or possess and or control to the Diocessan Board within seven days of date of this order failing, which the Deputy Sheriff with the assistance of the Zimbabwe Republic Police is hereby authorised on the direction of the Board to take occupation/possession of any assets of the Diocese and to hand over any assets or possession to the Board.”

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Bishop Taonezvi said the Supreme Court judgment restricted the eviction to Harare diocese.
“They are using the Supreme Court judgment to destabilise the mission. I am the Bishop of Masvingo under which Daramombe falls and this judgment has nothing to do with our diocese. Kunonga wants to take advantage of the judgment to cause confusion,” said Bishop Taonezvi.

Bishop Gandiya concurred on Wednesday with Bishop Taonezvi, but said they were approaching the courts to stop the evictions.
But Bishop Kunonga accused the two bishops of limiting their reading of the judgment to Paragraph Two leaving out Paragraph Three.

Paragraph Two of the Order reads as follows: “That the property of the Diocese of Harare whether movable or immovable owned by the church within the diocese vests in the Diocesan Trustees mentioned in Paragraph One above.”

Bishop Kunonga heads the Board of Trustees being referred to. Bishop Kunonga said it was critical to note that it was the Deputy Sheriff who was giving effect to the judgments and not him doing it.