By Daniel Nemukuyu
A foiled bid by the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) Church in Zimbabwe to fire two Kadoma pastors on notice has proved costly after a court of law ordered the church to pay the duo outstanding salaries and benefits to the tune of $17 000.
AFM’s property faces attachment since the two men of the cloth have already obtained a writ of execution. The church last year terminated on notice the employment contracts of the two pastors – Kudakwashe Mujere and Dickson Lunga — before the High Court issued a provisional order setting aside the termination.
Pastor Mujere of AFM’s Mornington Assembly and Pastor Lunga of Eastview Assembly in Kadoma were provisionally reinstated, but the church is still fighting through other channels to get rid of them.
While the main case was still on, the duo successfully sought payment of their salary arrears before a labour officer. The decision of the labour officer was last week endorsed as an order of court at Kadoma Civil Court after a successful application by the pair’s lawyer Mr Joshua Chirambwe of Lawman Chimuriwo Attorneys.
On the strength of that order, the two pastors have obtained a writ to attach church property to recover their debts. Pastor Mujere, according to the order of the magistrate’s court, is entitled to $7 060,30 while Pastor Lunga should be paid $10 000.
The church was also ordered to pay costs of the suit.
Before the issuance of the court order, the church had acknowledged the debt. The Herald
