APOSTOLIC Faith Mission (AFM) battle for leadership rages on as Reverend Cossam Chiangwa led faction on Friday submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe seeking to nullify the High Court ruling handed down Wednesday.
The ruling declared Reverend Amon Madawo as the bona fide leader of the church.
In a statement, Chiyangwa’s legal counsel confirmed the submission of the appeal and said the ruling is null and void.
“Be advised that our clients namely Cossam Chiangwa, Amon Chinyemba, Nathan Nhira, Shepard Sebata, AFM in Zimbabwe, Donald Nhira, Arther Nhamburo and M. Mashamba have noted an Appeal with the supreme court of Zimbabwe under the cover case number SC510/19.”
“The appeal has been noted against the entire judgement of the High Court sitting at Harare on the 4th of September 2019 of the Honourable Justice Mangota in Case Numbers HC 9149/19 and HC 179/19T,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the determination of the appeal to the supreme has suspended the operation of Justice Mangota’s judgement.
“Be further advised that the said notice of Appeal stated herein above suspends the judgment under the cover case number HC 9149/19 and 179/19 and therefore the matter stands unresolved pending the determination of the Appeal,”
“The status quo has to be maintained until and unless there is specific order of the court direction otherwise,” read the statement.
Madawo’s legal counsel filed the appeal after the High Court ruling had called for the Chiangwa led faction to surrender money and property that belongs to the original church.
“Everything that they took be it money or in forms of church collection properties and everything they must make good at return and then they are interpreted from presenting them the public or even to the church. Their application was an application after their own elections if I’m not mistaken on the 28th of October 2018. So they came to court to have themselves declared as the true leadership of AFM that is the 975 over 19 so that one was dismissed. As it stands before appeal, the leadership of the church is the one that is led by Reverend Madawo,” said the legal counsel.
The split was a result of an accumulation of issues within the church with the Chiangwa led faction citing change of constitution, victimisation of pastors as well as alleged gross inefficiency in the church for a long time.
The future leadership of the church lies within the hands of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe.
