TWO WOMEN say they have been the victims of growing brutality by police at the Anglican Cathedral in Harare, which is barricaded against its parishioners by Nolbert Kunonga, the former Bishop of Harare.
Under an interim ruling by a high-court judge, the cathedral is to be shared by Nolbert Kunonga’s “congregation”, and, at separate times, by the legitimate Anglican Church under the Bishop of Harare, Dr Sebastian Bakare (News, 8 February).
An 80-year-old woman, who goes daily on her bicycle to feed the birds and fill up the bird bath in the cloisters, was thrown out of the grounds on the day of the new Bishop’s enthronement. When she refused to move from the wooden seat on which she took refuge outside, she was knocked to the concrete with her bicycle.
“My hand was bleeding, and my shin was bruised,” she said. She continued defiantly: “But that was nothing. I played hockey for my college for four years, and my shin was often hit.”
The Cathedral churchwarden, Joyce Chibaya, and other parishioners, were beaten up, arrested, and taken to the police station on Sunday, after enlisting the help of
the Deputy Sheriff and a locksmith to gain access to the cathedral for a service. The police accused them of breaking and entering, before calling in the riot police, who bundled them into a truck. They were detained without being charged, and told to take the case to court, as it was a civil matter.
Another 150 parishioners, who had been waiting outside the cathedral, held a service in the car park when the detainees returned. “We had a wonderful service. Once again, Kunonga has violated a court order by locking us out of church with the full support of the police. He has violated our rights as cathedral parishioners to pray in peace,” Mrs Chibaya said.
Hopes fade for talks. The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, a network of church and civic groups, said that it no longer had hopes of success for the interparty peace talks, ENI reports. The talks had been intended to promote dialogue between the ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition movement, before the Zimbabwean elections, which are scheduled for 29 March.
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