Mugodhi apostolic sect leader dies

Tony Sigauke, the acting bishop of Mugodhi Apostolic Faith Church (MAFC), has passed away at the age of 88. Sigauke, who had been serving as the church's acting bishop since 2019, died of natural causes in Harare. His funeral will take place in Mutare on Saturday.

Sigauke took over the leadership of MAFC in an acting capacity after the church's substantive leader, Aaron Munodawafa, was declared incapacitated due to old age. Munodawafa, now 104 years old, had led the church for decades, but his advanced age led to Sigauke stepping into the leadership role.

Confirming Sigauke's death, MAFC's head of the legal department, Davison Mangoma, expressed the church's sorrow. "On behalf of the church, we lost our revered bishop at the weekend. The position we have is that he will be buried on Saturday in Mutare. We are saddened that the acting bishop is no more," Mangoma said.

Sigauke's passing comes at a time when MAFC was celebrating a significant victory in a leadership dispute. The church had been embroiled in a wrangle after the son of the late bishop, Washington Mugodhi, attempted to impose himself as the new leader. However, the Supreme Court upheld a previous High Court ruling affirming that Aaron Munodawafa was the legitimate leader of the church, a decision welcomed by many members.

Sigauke had a long and distinguished career with MAFC, having been ordained in 1967 and later rising to the position of vice bishop in 2014. He was born in 1936 in Musikavanhu, Chipinge, and worked at the Mutare Museum from 1958 until his retirement in 1996.

The church will now face the challenge of selecting a new leader as it mourns the loss of a respected figure in its leadership.