THE Anglican Diocese of Manicaland has claimed that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) is being used by some rebels in the church to fight in their internal affairs.
The church recently released an eight-page dossier exposing how its leaders have been arrested several times on flimsy charges.
It also claimed that diocese bishop Eric Ruwona was facing persecution from a few church members who have reported him to Zacc on several occasions.
According to the Anglican Church dossier, in 2018, Ruwona and four members were arrested on theft of trust property charges.
A member of the congregation bought a vehicle which the parish sold after approval from Diocesan Trustees through a local tendering process.
However, according to the dossier, there was a dispute over the use of proceeds from vehicle disposal.
Ruwona and his colleagues were later acquitted, with the presiding magistrate saying the case was hopeless, an abuse of the court and a waste to his ears.
None of the witnesses gave evidence of theft of trust property and the case was dismissed.
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Ruwona was again arrested on January 14, 2020 by another team of Zacc officers on allegations of fraud involving a loan from a local bank worth US$700 000 for building a girls high school in Rusape.
He had meetings with the diocese standing committee and diocesan trustees who said no fraud took place.
The case was dismissed by the courts.
“On Wednesday December 9, 2020, Zacc officials went to the bishop’s house at around 8pm and arrested Ruwona and he spent the night in [police cells].
“The new allegations were that he had, in the year 2018, revoked the licence of one Gilbert Sambona who had been the star witness in the ‘theft of trust property’ case.
“The allegations were that the bishop had victimised the clergyman for being a witness and this has all been dismissed by the courts,” the report said.
Recently, Ruwona, Walter Majoni, Daphine Mudarikwa, Danisa Muchichwa and Promise Kunyonga appeared before Mutare regional magistrate Pathekile Msipa.
Ruwona and the standing committee members were acquitted on charges of violating the Education Act.
Prosecutors Audry Mupini and Beaven Murevanhema had alleged that Ruwona, with the support of the standing committee, ordered principals at various church-run schools to collect fees from parents who wanted their children to enrol at Anglican schools in violation of the Education Act.
In his judgment, Msipa said witnesses in the matter did not even pay fees, adding that Ruwona and other church members were being persecuted.
The court further ordered external forces to desist from interfering in the internal affairs of the Anglican Diocese in Manicaland, adding that Ruwona and the priests should be allowed to exercise their episcopal ministry and freedom of worship.
Zacc spokesperson Simiso Mlevu yesterday refused to comment on the matter.
“These are just rumours and I do not want to comment over the matter,” she said.
