Bishop Nolbert Kunonga, expelled from the Anglican Church in 2008, has stepped up his fight for control of church property by seeking to take over the Daramombe Mission clinic in Chivhu.

The move is part of a wider drive to control all churches, schools and clinics owned by the Anglican church, with tacit support from ZANU PF.

Bishop Godfrey Tawonezvi from the Diocese of Masvingo has written a letter to all bishops in the Central Africa region and the head of the Anglican Church worldwide, Archbishop Rowan Williams, narrating how Kunonga is trying to destabilize the Mission and forcibly take control.

Kunonga, who claims to lead his own independent Anglican Church, 'ordained' two teachers who live near Daramombe. He is set on using them to take control of the Mission. The two teachers have already gone to the education office in Chivhu seeking employment. "This is a new method that Kunonga is now using, i.e getting his thugs to infiltrate our churches and institutions," Bishop Tawonezvi wrote.

The Bishop went on to give previous examples of how Kunonga has destabilized the Mission. In April a nurse at the Mission publicly announced that she was working with Kunonga and that she recognized him as the owner of the clinic. Kunonga is reported to have promised to make her the nurse in charge once he takes over the clinic. Because of the friction she created, authorities there tried to have her transferred.

Although the Ministry of Health sanctioned her transfer, Kunonga intervened and had it reversed. Then true to his style the rogue Bishop called upon the partisan police to have the Nurse-in-Charge, and the Priest who sought the transfer, arrested on the 1st June. They were only released after recorded statements were taken. The Kunonga nurse also falsely claimed she had been indecently assaulted.

More harassment was to follow two days later with the Bishop being summoned to Chivhu police station over the matter.

Kunonga is also said to be forging Daramombe Mission Secondary School documents, which he took to the Ministry of Education. "All these are efforts by Kunonga to try and take over Daramombe Mission. We informed the Ministry of Education that the documents they had been given were not authentic," Bishop Tawonezvi said.

Last week 16 Anglicans were arrested by police for daring to remove Kunonga's thugs who were trying to evict priests from their homes, but the rogue Bishop has endeared himself to the Mugabe regime by declaring his support for the violent land grab campaign. He was given a farm for his loyalty and continues to enjoy round the clock protection from the police and state security agency.

Bishop Chad Gandiya. the man who has since taken over Kunonga's place as the rightful leader of the Harare Diocese, summarized the problem they face; "It's not Kunonga we find at the church gates, it's the police. It's not Kunonga who drives us out, who throws tear gas at us, it's the police. When we ask them why, they say they're following orders."

By SW radio