Anglican parishioners puzzled over Kunonga trial decisions

By Lance Guma
04 January 2006

A councillor of the Cathedral Committee in the Anglican Church, Walter Gwete says parishioners who lodged a complaint against Bishop Nolbert Kunonga of Harare are now considering alternative legal options. This after the state media reported that the Archbishop Of Central Africa, Bernard Malango had cleared Kunonga of all the charges. Bishop Kunonga is accused of inciting members of the Central Intelligence Organization and war veterans to kill 10 prominent Anglicans including priests and churchwardens amongst other charges.

Gwete says the complainants have not received any official communication on the matter from the Archbishop’s office and are unhappy about several violations of canon law by his office. Councillor Gwete accused Archbishop Malango of playing hide and seek with them over the resolution of the case. Even the appointment of James Kalaile, the Malawian Judge who quit the trial in a huff, was done secretly with the complainants only alerted a few days before trial. Of concern to the parishioners is the fact that Malango by-passed canon law in deciding not to re-appoint a judge to try Kunonga after Kalaile quit in controversial circumstances.

Archbishop Malango says he has a copy of a report from his own officials on the matter and would rule based on those submissions. Gwete however alleges both are good friends and no reasonable person could expect a guilty verdict. The election of Kunonga as Bishop of Harare is shrouded in controversy after allegations that he used his influence within Zanu PF to rise to that position and fired priests who opposed his appointment. He was rewarded with two farms by government for his ‘see no evil hear no evil’ approach. The long running saga has seen parishioners demonstrating against him during church services and the matter even spilling into the civil courts.