Elliot Jinjika
CHIVHU – The Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM)’s royal rumble is
raging on here as there was drama at the Devotional Life Centre where, for the
second time, none of the two factions managed to use the church premises to
hold a crossover night service.
raging on here as there was drama at the Devotional Life Centre where, for the
second time, none of the two factions managed to use the church premises to
hold a crossover night service.
The crossover service from 2019 to 2020 brought the two AFM factions
head on as both wanted to do their service the Devotional Life Centre church
and the police had to intervene by banning both factions from conducting their
services at the church premises.
head on as both wanted to do their service the Devotional Life Centre church
and the police had to intervene by banning both factions from conducting their
services at the church premises.
The AFM church is embroiled in deep factional fights that have seen
the church being divided into two groups, one led by Rev Cossam Chiyangwa and
the other by Rev Amon Madawo and is waiting for the supreme court to decide the
legitimate leader of the church.
the church being divided into two groups, one led by Rev Cossam Chiyangwa and
the other by Rev Amon Madawo and is waiting for the supreme court to decide the
legitimate leader of the church.
Before the crossover night, the police summoned both factions for a
meeting because there were clashes on who will use the church venue for the
service.
meeting because there were clashes on who will use the church venue for the
service.
The police had a long meeting with both factions but nothing was
agreed upon as both factions refused to bow down prompting the police to ban
both factions from using the church pemises for the cross over night service.
agreed upon as both factions refused to bow down prompting the police to ban
both factions from using the church pemises for the cross over night service.
The Reformist faction tried to defy the police directive by forcing
themselves onto the church premises before being dispersed by police officers
armed with button sticks and dogs.
themselves onto the church premises before being dispersed by police officers
armed with button sticks and dogs.
Sources who spoke to TellZim News said that the reformist approached
the police seeking intervention against the anti- reformist who were said to be
planning to bar the former from using the church premises.
the police seeking intervention against the anti- reformist who were said to be
planning to bar the former from using the church premises.
“Efforts were made as early as December 15, 2019 to agree on the use
of the venue on the crossover night but the Reformists did not want to discuss
the matter only to report to the police on the day of service that they were
being barred from the church premises,” a source said.
of the venue on the crossover night but the Reformists did not want to discuss
the matter only to report to the police on the day of service that they were
being barred from the church premises,” a source said.
AFM pastor, Tavonga Masawi said that no faction used the church
premises during the crossover night as the police manned the venue.
premises during the crossover night as the police manned the venue.
“We were summoned to the police to deliberate on the matter. Tuesdays are often meant for the anti-reformists
and we were expecting to see our brothers looking for a separate venue but
their refusal led to this standoff until the police manned the premises with dogs,”
said Masawi.
and we were expecting to see our brothers looking for a separate venue but
their refusal led to this standoff until the police manned the premises with dogs,”
said Masawi.
It is said that the reformists led by elders Sithole and Musarurwa
pushed for the police to lock out both factions to avoid confrontation.
pushed for the police to lock out both factions to avoid confrontation.
