Mugodhi Apostolic Faith Church war rages on

By Mashudu Netsianda

One of the leaders of the troubled Mugodhi Apostolic Faith Church, has approached the High Court challenging an application by one of church’s senior pastors who wants the nullification of the constitution, saying it was not properly enacted.

Mugodhi Apostolic Faith Church is one of the largest Apostolic sects in Zimbabwe.

The church’s Vice Bishop Tonnie Sigauke filed an opposing affidavit challenging an application by Reverend Admore Ndlovu, a senior pastor, who contends that there was no proper consultation when the constitution was enacted in 2012.

Rev Ndlovu, who had cited the church and its leader Bishop Washington Mugodhi and as respondents, said the church was using a constitution which the congregants were not privy to when it was enacted.

He wants the court to declare it null and void, arguing that the church’s vice bishops and the board of trustees’ ministers and elders were not aware of the procedure used to adopt the constitution.

Rev Ndlovu said the signatures were forged after discovering that the committee members whose purported signatures were appended on the constitution did not exist.

He said there was no evidence suggesting that the constitution was adopted by church members.

“It appears to be a document which was crafted by someone who then forged some signatures and threw it to the church to use before it could be properly adopted,” he said.

In his opposing affidavit, Rev Sigauke argued that Rev Ndlovu had no locus standi to institute legal proceedings on behalf of the church.

“The applicant (Rev Ndlovu) has no capacity to challenge the constitution as he is not part of the leadership neither was he part of constitution committee or a signatory and as such, this application is improper before this court,” he said.

Rev Sigauke said the constitution was in full force and effected in 2012.

He said Rev Ndlovu has failed to show any basis for the nullification of the constitution.

Rev Sigauke argued that a committee was set up before the church unanimously adopted the constitution.

“The applicant has not cited the provisions of the constitution which are prejudicial to him and the mere fact that he was not aware of the constitution is not a legal basis for its nullification. Wherefore, the first respondent (Mugodhi Apostolic Faith Church) prays, that the applicant’s claim be dismissed with costs,” he said.

Rev Sigauke also challenged Rev Ndlovu’s assertion that Bishop Mugodhi was the leader of the church since the matter to determine the leadership is still pending at the Supreme Court.

The church was founded by the late Bishop Elijah Mugodhi in 1932.

Soon after the death of his son, Tadewu who was the fifth to have taken the reins since his father’s death, cracks emerged within the church.

Four leaders came between Tadewu and his father until the last leader, Mubvuwiwa, handed over the church leadership back to the Mugodhis in 2002.

Following the death of Tadewu in October, Rev Sigauke, is now angling to snatch power from Tadewu’s son, Washington Mugodhi, who had succeeded him.

Rev Sigauke, started fighting Tadewu for the leadership of the church in August after the ailing leader revealed that he wanted Washington to take over from him.

Bishop Tadewu Mugodhi succumbed to cancer at the age of 79.

Prior to his death, Tadewu is said to have anointed Washington to take over, a development which did not go down well with Rev Sigauke and his loyalists. The Chronicle