ACNS As Zimbabwe priest is freed, bishop is robbed of communications equipment

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

As Zimbabwe priest is freed, bishop is robbed of communications equipment

Posted On : September 9, 2011 11:08 AM | Posted By : Admin ACO
ACNS: 
<http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/9/9/ACNS4937>http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/9/9/ACNS4937 

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<http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/Zimbabwe>Zimbabwe

> By ACNS staff

The Bishop of Harare the Rt Revd Dr Nicholas Chad Gandiya said he is 
suspicious of a robbery at his house in which only money and 
communications equipment were taken.

On the same day that international media carried the news of the 
arrest and imprisonment of Anglican priest Reverend Julius Zimbudzana 
and of the impending visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury to 
Zimbabwe, four men forced their way into the bishop's home on 
Thursday evening. They ordered him and his family to lie on the floor 
and then proceeded to ransack the house.

Bp Chad said, "We gave them all the money we had between us all which 
came to $600 to $800. They threatened to kill us if we did not give 
them money. They searched my son's bedroom and ours for money and any 
valuables they could get. They literally trashed our bedroom. They 
took my laptop and my son's two laptops and all our cell phones.

"They shoved us all into the bathroom and tried to lock us in but it 
did not work. They threatened to load all our property in cars and 
take it all away. We rejoice and thank God that none of us were hurt. 
We simply did what they told us to do.

"I am however, very suspicious of this robbery. It seems what they 
were after were just the laptops and phones."

He added that the robbery means that his ability to communicate is 
now, of course, much more limited than before.

The robbery took place only hours after the priest in charge at St 
Mary's Anglican Church, Reverend Julius Zimbudzana, was finally 
released from jail after being arrested on a charge of taking over 
Anglican church property worth over US$1.5 million.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Harare said yesterday , "We thank 
God that Reverend Julius Zimbudzana was this afternoon released from 
police custody without any charges laid against him. The Attorney 
General's office said the police should investigate their case before 
making arrests."

He added, "Although we are afflicted in every way, we are not crushed 
and we do not lose hope."

The Anglican Church in Zimbabwe has been under attack from the 
excommunicated bishop, Dr Nolbert Kunonga, since 2007. Kunonga, with 
the support of police and henchmen, has seized CPCA church property 
and used violence to break up church services. In an interview with 
the New York Times, Dr Kunonga was quoted as saying that his aim is 
for his church to control about 3,000 Anglican churches, schools, 
hospitals and other properties in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Malawi.

Since a recent ruling that Dr Kunonga had custodianship of properties 
belonging to the Church of the Province of Central Africa he has 
starting forcing Anglican priests and others to leave homes and other 
buildings. Today the Zimbabwe government-supported newspaper The 
Herald revealed that the latest victims of Dr Kunonga's eviction 
campaign were the Revd Muyengwa Murombedzi the headmaster of 
Daramombe Mission near Chivu, Mr Denford Javangwe the headteacher of 
Daramombe primary school, and senior nursing staff at the Mission.

> ENDS