By Mugove Tafirenyika
HARARE – The family of Aaron Mhukuta-Gomo, the leader of the Johane Masowe Vadzidzi VaJesu, has appealed for the intervention of police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri, in a vicious leadership wrangle with fellow church members that is sucking in Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
All but one of the 23 children, as well as more than 80 grandchildren of 93-year-old Madzibaba Wimbo, allege that some members of the church who stand accused of murdering a fellow church follower last year, were conniving with one of Wimbo’s wives to wrestle the church from them, allegedly using Mnangagwa’s name.
The murder suspects are currently out on bail over the case.
In a matter heavily steeped in political conspiracy, Wimbo’s children also allege that the murder suspects had falsely accused them of supporting ousted former Vice President Joice Mujuru, a move they claim had allegedly prompted Mnangagwa to summon them to his office last month.
One of Wimbo’s grandchildren, Religious Gomo, who says he attended the said meeting at Mnangagwa’s office, told the Daily News yesterday that they had allegedly been told by Mnangagwa’s secretary that their matter was being dealt with at party level.
He further accused the murder suspects of perpetrating acts of violence against Wimbo’s family and attempting to usurp power from Wimbo, taking advantage of his advanced age.
Gomo said his family was also seeking help from Chihuri because their nonagenarian father had allegedly been kidnapped and forcibly taken to the church shrine by their rivals.
In a July 23 letter authored on behalf of the family by Wimbo’s son Exnevia Gomo which the Daily News has seen, the family appealed to Chihuri to “avail and facilitate the revision of the bail conditions of these murder suspects”.
“The extent of the violence seems to be a big challenge to law enforcement agents who are denied access into the shrine to carry out investigations and if they are allowed in, they are given stringent conditions to access our father…” .
Exnevia said the church shrine had become a haven of violent crimes, allegedly perpetrated the murder accused working hand in hand with some church leaders.
“It is my strongest belief that the purported church leaders are using my father’s name whom they kidnapped to legitimise their criminal activities.
“My father has clearly indicated that he needed some help to be rescued from this ruthless purported leadership,” the letter reads.
On their supposed meeting with Mnangagwa, the family concedes that they in fact only met his secretary, who informed them that the matter was being dealt with at party level.
“We did not see him personally as he had left a message with his personal assistant that the matter was being looked into and that we were supposed to dialogue to solve our religious differences.
“However, when we got back home Mukohwa (one of the murder suspects) was bragging that they had the VP’s support and that we could not do anything to them,” he said. Daily News
