Church members in fistfights over use of church shrine

A Facebook spat between youths belonging to two factions of the Zion Apostolic Faith Mission in Chivi over the use of the church's shrine for the Passover ended with two seriously injured when both factions turned up and engaged in fistfights.

Police have so far arrested two other church members over the violence.

The two church members sustained severe injuries, with one of them who was stabbed on the head with a knife being admitted to Ngundu Clinic while the other one who was pounded with stones was taken to Chivi district hospital.

The situation normalised only after riot police from Ngundu descended on the scene and managed to quell the fighting among the rival church factions.

Sources from the church said the clashes at the church's headquarters in Museva communal lands were sparked by a Facebook war pitting youths from rival factions in the run-up to the Easter Passover.

One faction is reportedly led by Mr Jameson Shoko who was recently installed as the new head of the church after the death of his father Mr Andreas Pedzisayi Shoko in October last year.

Mr Jameson Shoko's younger brother Mr Ezra Shoko heads the other faction.

Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Peter Zhanero yesterday said police were investigating the case.

''We are still to find out the exact number of people who were injured in the clashes between the two rival church factions who were fighting for the right to pray at the same venue at the same time," he said.

"We have reports that one of the church members was stabbed with a knife on the head, while another was hit with stones. As police, we are still investigating the matter to find out who actually started the trouble which resulted in rival church members exchanging blows. We managed to swiftly react and stopped the disturbances."

Insp Zhanero said more people were expected to be arrested as investigations were continuing.

Mr Jameson Shoko decried the violence and said his faction was going to apply for a peace order against his younger brother.

"We are definitely not happy with what happened because a church should not be a place for fighting, but for praying and we are going to apply for a peace order against the Ezra Shoko group because they came and disturbed us as we were praying," he said.

Mr Ezra Shoko could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe president Reverend Johannes Ndanga condemned the clashes, saying his organisation wanted unity within indigenous churches.

He said his organisation wanted to solve the leadership contest in the church by calling for a nomination court of those who were itching to succeed the late Reverend Andreas Shoko, but only one of the parties attended.

"We regret the clashes that occurred at Museva between rival factions in the Zion Apostolic Faith Mission Church," said Rev Ndanga.

"We do not want to see infighting in indigenous churches, we want unity. The installation of a leader within that church is guided by a 1949 Covenant which is there for all to see."

Sources said trouble at the church's headquarters started after members quarrelled over the right to pray in the conference centre which serves as the church's shrine.

Tension had been building up in the run-up to the Easter Passover between the two factions following the alleged Facebook spats between supporters of the two factions centred on who was going to use the church's conference centre.

The factions fought each other using bare hands and stones and the Mr Jameson Shoko's faction managed to eventually conduct prayers in the conference centre after police intervened.