Catholic church probes rogue priest

By Esinathy Sibanda

The Roman Catholic Church said yesterday that it had started investigations following allegations that a Bulawayo priest had an illicit affair with a local woman that resulted in pregnancy and payment of lobola.

Catholic priests are sworn to celibacy but Ms Bridget Moyo (31) recently exposed her secret affair with Father Fernando Ncube (43) of St Pius church in Njube suburb.

Father Ncube allegedly customarily married Ms Moyo last year and the two kept their relationship a secret to the world until she felt betrayed after the clergyman allegedly tried to bed her mother.

The Archbishop of Bulawayo, Alex Thomas said the church was dealing with the issue.

“The Church is aware of the allegations and is taking appropriate measures to deal with the issue. The church is doing what it is supposed to do when such issues arise,” said Archbishop Thomas.

He said investigations were underway but he was not at liberty to share details with the media regarding procedures.

Archbishop Thomas however said the church’s final decision will be made public.

Father Ncube is still performing his duties at his parish and when asked to comment on this, Archbishop Thomas said every church had its own procedures and will not bow to external forces.

Early this month, Ms Moyo opened up about her affair with Father Ncube saying they fell in love before he told her that he was a priest and she only discovered the truth when she was already madly in love.

She supplied this newspaper with numerous pictures of the two in compromising positions as well as when they were on holiday in South Africa.

There are also pictures of the priest with the woman’s family members that include her grandmother, child from a previous relationship and an uncle.

Ms Moyo said she was in a romantic relationship with the priest for more than a year before he decided to pay lobola.

The relationship went sour when Father Ncube allegedly attempted to have sex with Ms Moyo’s mother, an accusation he dismissed.

Ms Moyo said Father Ncube threw a party for her 31st birthday on August 5 and her mother came from South Africa where she is based to attend the event.

After the party, she said, they all went to the priest’s home in Njube suburb and that is where he sneaked into his mother in-law’s blankets.

Father Ncube has rubbished the allegations saying Ms Moyo had a motive to soil his reputation after he demanded his money that he lent her to start her money changing business.

In 2007, former Roman Catholic Bulawayo Diocese Archbishop Pius Ncube made headlines when he was allegedly filmed having sex with a married woman, the late Mrs Rosemary Sibanda.

Following the unearthing of the sex scandal, father Ncube resigned from his post as head of the diocese. The Chronicle