Kunonga in hospital grab: The Church of England Newspaper, June 24, 2011 p 8 June 28, 2011
Posted by geoconger in Church of England Newspaper, Property Litigation, Zimbabwe.trackback
Dr. Nolbert Kunonga
First published in The Church of England Newspaper.
The Bishop of Masvingo writes from Zimbabwe that Dr Nolbert Kunonga has expanded his depredations beyond Harare and has tried to take control of a diocesan mission hospital in the southeast of the Central African nation.
In an email to the Central African bishops and supporters in the West, Bishop Godfrey Tawonezvi said the breakaway Bishop of Harare “continues to destabilize” the mission hospital in Daramombe “in an effort to forcibly take control of the institution.”
Dr Kunonga’s invasion of the Diocese of Masvingo comes amidst heightened uncertainty in the bitter dispute. On 2 June, Bishop Chad Gandiya of Harare also sent an email to supporters reporting that 16 Anglicans had been arrested by the police after protesting against the invasion of the Rev Julius Zimbudzana’s home by supporters of the breakaway bishop. Several priests were jailed overnight on trumped-up charges, Bishop Gandiya said.
The security forces continue to support the breakaway bishop — a vocal supporter of Zimbabwe strongman Robert Mugabe — while other factions in the regime appear to be distancing themselves from Dr Kunonga. Unsympathetic reports of the breakaway bishop’s actions have begun to appear in the state press, backed by editorials calling for an end to the dispute.
In his email, Bishop Tawonezvi reported that a nurse on the staff of the Daramombe hospital informed the director in April that she recognized Dr Kunonga as the rightful owner of the church facility, and that Dr Kunonga had appointed her head nurse. The Ministry of Health then transferred the nurse to another facility.
On 31 May, “the Bishop, Priest in Charge, and clinic staff had a meeting at the clinic to discuss some administrative issues.” Bishop Tawonezvi wrote and then spoke to the Kunonga nurse, telling her that “her services were no longer required at Daramombe mission. Our conversation with her did not even last a minute.”
The next day the priest in charge of the hospital and the head nurse were arrested by the police and charged with having made an “indecent assault” upon the Kunonga nurse. Bishop Tawonezvi was summoned to the police station on 3 June to answer questions about the alleged assault. Last week the Ministry of Health rescinded its transfer order and sent the Kunonga nurse back to Daramombe.
“Kunonga and his thugs always resort to lies and criminal activities” Bishop Tawonezvi said.
“We will continue to resist efforts by Kunonga to take over Daramombe mission. We are grateful for your prayers,” the bishop’s email said.
Comments
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Tawonezvi there is no m,ore place for gay bishops in zimbabwe u better go to england
remember what u did when u were still a priest at st pauls in hieghfield raping and sodomising our kids now is the time we will not keep silent
enda zvako wega
cde dgm