VZCZCXRO7211
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0970/01 3491325
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151325Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5220
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 3211
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 3322
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1746
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2580
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2949
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 0010
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0012
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2489
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 000970 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR B. WALCH 
DRL FOR N. WILETT 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR J. HARMON AND L. DOBBINS 
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR MICHELLE GAVIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI ASEC ZI
SUBJECT: FORMER ZIMBABWE ANGLICAN BISHOP DISRUPTS CHURCH 
ACTIVITIES AGAIN 
 
HARARE 00000970  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) A recent series of church disruptions mark a 
resurgence of the heated dispute between the Anglican Church 
in the Province of Central Africa (CPCA) and a breakaway 
faction led by former CPCA Bishop Nolbert Kunonga.  The 
latest actions by Kunonga and his followers further undermine 
the tenuous agreement brokered by the High Court of Zimbabwe 
in January 2008, allowing the two parties to share church 
premises pending a final court determination.  The dispute 
has assumed political significance as Kunonga has leveraged 
his ZANU-PF ties to gain the support of the police.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Background: Kunonga vs. the CPCA 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Dr. Nolbert Kunonga was the bishop for the Harare 
Diocese of the Anglican Church in the Province of Central 
Africa (CPCA).  In 2007, he broke from the CPCA citing the 
CPCA's approach to homosexuality, which he felt was too 
liberal.  He then formed a rival church and appointed himself 
its archbishop.  However, Kunonga refused to surrender the 
assets of the CPCA and continued to access the church's 
financial resources.  He then embarked on a campaign to 
prevent the CPCA from worshipping in church buildings and -- 
using his political connections to ZANU-PF -- enlisted police 
support.  Several priests were arrested and prosecuted during 
2008 and 2009 for holding CPCA church services in contested 
properties. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In 2007, the CPCA filed suit in the High Court 
seeking to bar Kunonga from utilizing its facilities and 
other assets.  This was followed by a January 2008 High Court 
ruling that stated that the Kunonga faction and the CPCA must 
share church premises by scheduling church services at 
different times.  Despite the court order, Kunonga's faction 
has periodically denied the CPCA use of church premises.  As 
the conflict intensified, the co-ministers of Home Affairs, 
Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa, intervened to rein in 
Kunonga, his followers, and heavy-handed police. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In July 2009, Judge Hlatshwayo, at the request of 
Kunonga, issued an order that the CPCA had not properly 
excommunicated Kunonga and that he retained his position as 
bishop.  Kunonga hoped to use the order to prevent the 
coronation of the new bishop for the CPCA in Harare. 
However, the CPCA appealed and the ruling was suspended, 
clearing the way for the coronation of the new bishop, Chad 
Gandiya. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Kunonga Claims He's Still the Bishop... 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) CPCA Registrar Mike Chingore told Political 
Specialist that Kunonga was buoyed by the Hlatshwayo judgment 
and claimed never to have left the church.  He said that 
Kunonga maintains he is the only lawful head of the church 
and is attempting to regain his position. 
 
-------------------------------- 
...and is Back to his Old Tricks 
Q...and is Back to his Old Tricks 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The CPCA reported that in the past two weeks 
Kunonga followers prevented CPCA members from attending mass, 
 
HARARE 00000970  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
disrupted services, and forced the cancellation of three 
weddings.  On December 6, Kunonga supporters -- with the 
support of police officers -- locked the gates to the 
Highfield church, preventing about 1,000 parishioners from 
worshipping.  When the local priest, Reverend Selemani, 
demanded to know on whose authority the police were acting, 
he was told they were acting "on higher orders."  A member of 
the Highfield church reported that the police accused the 
church of supporting the MDC-T.  On December 5, police 
disrupted three weddings at the Budiriro church, resulting in 
their cancellation.  On November 28, police drove away 
parishioners from a Murehwa church -- about 100 km from 
Harare -- as they prepared to take communion.  At the 
Kuwadzana church, police padlocked the doors before mass. 
Similar situations unfolded in Glen Norah, Glen View, 
Hatfield, Marlborough, and Tafara. 
 
------------------- 
Police Back Kunonga 
------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Chingore told us that Kunonga and his followers had 
disrupted church activities with the assistance of some 
sections of the police.  He said the police had consistently 
refused to arrest Kunonga followers breaking the law.  Police 
defended their actions by stating that they were merely 
following orders from unnamed superiors.  Chingore said that 
they were deterred from filing criminal reports because of 
the biased police position.  He went on to state that CPCA 
members were becoming impatient with the impunity with which 
the police and Kunonga supporters had acted. 
 
------------------------ 
CPCA Goes To Court Again 
------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) CPCA lawyer Mordecai Mahlangu told us he filed an 
urgent application in the High Court on December 11 for 
contempt of court against the Commissioner General of Police, 
Augustine Chihuri, and Co-Ministers of Home Affairs, Giles 
Mutsekwa (MDC-T) and Kembo Mohadi (ZANU-PF).  He wants the 
court to force Chihuri and the two ministers to direct the 
police to stop interfering with the activities of the church 
and to observe the 2008 High Court judgment.  He said he did 
not expect the court to hear the case soon because of the 
likelihood of political sensitivity. 
 
------------------------------ 
Alternative: Peaceful Protest? 
------------------------------ 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The new Bishop of the Harare Diocese, Chad Gandiya, 
met with priests and wardens on December 11 to try to develop 
a strategic response to Kunonga,s conduct.  The church 
registrar told us that a lot of members were increasingly 
voicing a need for robust and effective responses to the 
disruptions.  Some were in favor of peaceful protests against 
police actions. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) We have long witnessed police reticence to 
maintain the rule of law in rural areas, most commonly on 
contested farms.  However, police tolerance for illegal 
actions by Kunonga supporters in Harare indicates that there 
Qactions by Kunonga supporters in Harare indicates that there 
are no limits to the extent shrewd operators like Kunonga can 
politicize a dispute.  Growing impatience within CPCA ranks 
could lead to more violent confrontations if the issue 
 
HARARE 00000970  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
remains unaddressed.  END COMMENT. 
 
RAY