The Anglican Diocese of Manicaland has handed over 14 buses valued at US$3 million to its primary and secondary schools in the province.
As reported by <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200038297/anglican-schools-receive-14-buses">NewsDay</a>, the buses were officially commissioned by Bishop Eric Ruwona on Friday at St Catherine Girls College in Rusape.
The event, which also marked the opening of the girls-only school, underscored the Diocese’s commitment to improving educational opportunities.
In his welcoming remarks, Bishop Ruwona said the addition of the buses would greatly improve the quality of education, particularly through facilitating educational tours for students. He said:
<blockquote>
We are going to employ transport managers who are going to manage these buses so that we generate income. We don’t want these buses to lie idle.
As the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland, we are always striving to make our schools the best in the country.
</blockquote>
The occasion was graced by several dignitaries, including diocesan secretary Edmund Father Samutereko, Archbishop of Central Africa and Bishop of Lusaka Albert Chama, Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Misheck Mugadza, and Provincial Education Director Richard Gabaza, who stood in for Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Moses Mhike.
In a speech read on his behalf, Mhike said that he hoped the buses would be put to good use. He said:
<blockquote>
I want to applaud the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland for the procurement of buses. This is responsible enough from a responsible authority.
The acquisition of the top-of-the-range buses is a commitment to the delivery and improvement of learners’ outcomes under a responsible authority.
The buses are going to reduce the transport costs as the schools used to hire buses. My hope is that the buses are going to be put to good use.
</blockquote>
Some of the schools which benefited from the buses are St Mary Magdalene, Little St Augustine of Hippo Primary School in Penhalonga, St Anne’s Mission School, St David’s High School, St Francis of Assisi Primary and Newengo, among others.
In total, the diocese has 54 schools.

Pindula News

The Anglican Diocese of Manicaland gave 14 buses to their schools worth $3 million. The buses were handed over at a special event at St Catherine Girls College. This will improve educational opportunities for students by providing transportation for educational tours. The schools will also make money by hiring out the buses when not in use. Many important people attended the event and praised the Diocese for their responsible decision. Schools like St Mary Magdalene and St David's High School were among those who received buses. Overall, the Diocese has 54 schools in total.

Anglican Schools In Manicaland Receive 14 Buses

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has released the names of eight Anglican church members who were burnt beyond recognition in a bus accident in Gandanzara Village when the bus they were travelling in caught fire last month.
The accident occurred at the 26-kilometre peg along Nyabadza-Gandanzara Road on 16 June 2024 at around 7 PM.
In a statement, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi stated that DNA analysis had been conducted at the National University of Science and Technology to identify the eight bodies recovered.
The deceased persons are Charity Nyamapfeni, Annie Miti, Gladys Sarutani Gumiro, Viola Nyambabvu, Winnie Chiremba, Agnes Miti, Magaret Mupangabure, and Bradley Mukwane.
The <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/new-bus-fire-accident-victims-identified/">Manica Post</a> reported that a church service was held at Rusape General Hospital where families were handed the remains of their late relatives.
They will be buried in Sherukuru in Mutasa District on Saturday, 06 July 2024.
Addressing mourners, Department of Civil Protection chief director Nathan Nkomo said:
<blockquote>
The accident was declared a state of disaster, which means the government took over all the costs related to the funerals.
We also took care of the DNA tests which were conducted by NUST in Bulawayo and it was done on time.
All government departments and ministries which had a role to play did so exceptionally well in executing their duties.
Government will continue assisting the families until the bodies are laid to rest.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Police Release Names Of Eight Anglican Church Members Killed In Bus Accident

A Church of England statement today has said it will uphold its position that marriage is only between a man and a woman and would not let same-sex couples wed in its churches.
The development follows the Church of England’s six-year consultation on sexuality and marriage, among other topics. The proposals were developed by bishops, who make up one of three parts of the church’s governing body known as the General Synod. They will be presented to the General Synod at a meeting next month.
The Church of England is the mother church of the international Anglican churches which includes more than 85 million people in more than 165 nations. These include the Anglican in Zimbabwe and its followers.
The statement confirmed a BBC story from the previous night that bishops had declined to endorse a change in teaching to permit priests to marry homosexual couples. “Same-sex couples would still not be permitted to get married in a Church of England church,” the statement added.
According to announced proposals, same-sex couples who get legally married can attend a religious service where there will be “prayers of dedication, appreciation, or for God’s blessing on the pair.” In 2013, Britain legalized gay marriage.
Said Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
<blockquote>
“I am under no illusions that what we are proposing today will appear to go too far for some and not nearly far enough for others, but it is my hope that what we have agreed will be received in a spirit of generosity, seeking the common good” 
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, according to the statement, the Church of England bishops will be issuing an apology later this week to gay people for the “rejection, exclusion, and hostility” they have faced in churches.

The Anglican Church Of England Refuses To Allow Gay Marriages

The Anglican Diocese of Manicaland is holding its Mother’s Union conference at St Matthias Tsonzo in Watsomba in Mutasa District after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The conference commenced on Friday and ends on Sunday.
Anglican Diocese of Manicaland Bishop Eric Ruwona’s wife Eunice urged congregants to pray for peace ahead of the 2023 elections. She said:
<blockquote>
We are hosting our annual Mother’s Union conference after almost two years as we were affected by the COVID-19 precautions measures.
The main purpose of the meeting is the spiritual revival and upliftment of members. We are calling upon the church and nation to unite because our days are numbered.
The Mother’s Union will also be remembered as the day women share ideas on various issues including marriage.
We are praying for peace and unity to prevail in the country as we approach elections.
</blockquote>
In March this year, the Anglican Mother’s Union successfully hosted St Mary’s Day where women from across the country gathered at St Augustine in Manicaland Province.
The Mother’s Union celebrates St Mary’s Day annually on 25 March to celebrate the message that was bought to Mary by the Angel Gabriel that she was to give birth to Jesus.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/08/anglican-conference-roars-to-life/">NewsDay</a>

Anglicans Hold Mothers' Union Conference In Watsomba

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials in Manicaland Province have refused to recognise an acting head and his deputy recently appointed by the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland to run affairs at St Faith’s High School.
This is despite an interim interdict and peace order granted to the Anglican Church against the school head, Anold Makamba and his deputy, Irvine Mudangwe from carrying out official duties at the school.
In an ex-parte application, the trustees of the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland and the St Faith’s High School Development Committee (SDC) were accusing the duo of public abuse of office.
They also accused the head and his deputy of instigating community and pupils riots that rocked the school recently.
The church wants the two transferred from the school, saying that it appointed the two to their current positions by virtue of them being church members.
The Anglican church argued that it thus holds at law the right to transfer them without them interfering with that discretion.
After getting the interim relief, the church, as the Responsible Authority, appointed Upenyu Kamuruko, an ordinary teacher, and Taona Madziva, a senior master as acting head and deputy respectively. The appointments were done on 19 November.
However, outgoing Manicaland Provincial Education Director (PED), Edward Shumba told The Manica Post that the ministry does not recognise any appointee besides the substantive head and his deputy. He said:
<blockquote>
That is illegal. The church does not have the power to do that. The church is not the employer of these people.
We do not know the administrative and leadership capabilities of the people they appointed. It is a poor way of handling a crisis.
Even when you are in a crisis, you must still obey the law. What they did is against the law.
Their appointees will be charged for misconduct because they accessed the head and deputy head’s offices as well as assumed duties without a hand-over take-over.
They failed to obey lawful instructions, and are interfering with the smooth running of the school.
</blockquote>
Makamba and Mudangwe lodged their notice of opposition on Wednesday and the matter will be heard on 29 November.
In opposing papers prepared by Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni Legal Practitioners, the two said the Anglican Church was not their employer and had no authority to prevent them from performing their duties.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/govt-anglican-church-clash/">The Manica Post</a></h4>

Govt, Anglican Church Clash Over Headmaster

The Anglican Church Diocese of Manicaland province is going ahead with its plans to privatise its mission schools to enable the church to attract the best teachers and improve the quality of education at the institutions.
Schools targeted for privatisation include St David’s Bonda High School, St Anne’s Goto, St Augustine and St Faith, among other high schools.
A senior church member, Simon Sachitwe, told NewsDay on Thursday that the church will guarantee places for local schoolchildren. He said:
<blockquote>
The church leadership led by Bishop Eric Ruwona is determined to privatise its mission schools.
We are doing it so that we can empower our local children by giving them scholarships, among other benefits.
… If you look at St Augustine’s in Penhalonga, most of the children are from outside Mutare and locals are no longer benefiting.
We want to give local schoolchildren a quota of available places. If we privatise, we can attract some of the best teachers in the country because we will pay them handsomely.
</blockquote>
Sachitwe revealed that the church had already done all the necessary applications to privatise the schools.
In September this year, the ruling ZANU PF party warned the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland against its plans to privatise its best performing mission schools in the province.
READ MORE: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/09/18/zanu-pf-warns-anglican-church-against-privatising-schools/">ZANU PF Warns Anglican Church Against Privatising Schools</a>
The ZANU PF Makoni District Coordinating Committee (DCC) believes that if the schools are privatised, the majority of the community families will no longer afford to enrol their children there.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2021/11/anglican-church-moves-to-privatise-schools/">NewsDay</a></h4>

Anglican Church Presses Ahead With Privatisation Of Schools

The ruling ZANU PF party has warned the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland against its plans to privatise its best performing mission schools in the province.
St Faith’s, St David’s Bonda, St Augustine’s High and St Anne’s Goto are among high schools which the diocese intends to privatise next year.
The church’s leadership on Monday started consultative meetings with the local community leadership, community members, teachers and non-teaching staff over the move.
They started off with St Faith’s High in Rusape, with officials from the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry as the secretariat.
Manica Post reported at St Faith’s Mission, the atmosphere during the meeting was tense, full of heated debate and finger-pointing.
The community reportedly objected to voting over the issue, arguing that it did not know how the votes would be used to determine the way forward.
Anglican Diocese of Manicaland bishop, Eric Ruwona, told the meeting that they wanted to privatise the school because the Government was not adequately remunerating teachers and wanted to improve their welfare by paying them about US$500.
He said they also wanted to provide scholarships to the less-privileged as well as give locals a quota of available vacancies.
Meanwhile, a letter from the ZANU PF Makoni District Coordinating Committee (DCC), warning the church against the privatisation process was also read during the meeting.
The letter signed by Makoni DCC chairman, Albert Nyakuedzwa, reads in part:
<blockquote>
ZANU PF is against your intention to convert St Faith’s High School into a private school. We also received similar objections from community members who said they contributed to the construction of the school.
If the school is to become a private school, then it means the majority of the community families will no longer afford to enrol their children there.
</blockquote>
Diocese spokesperson and registrar, Ashel Mutungura said the privatisation process was continuing after successfully conducting another meeting at St David’s Bonda Girl’s High on Tuesday. Said Mutungura:
<blockquote>
These are consultative meetings for people to raise their concerns. At St Faith’s High, we had a meeting with the local leadership that did not even understand why we were there. 
They refused to vote, threatening to approach the highest office over the matter. These are people who do not understand how schools work and there were drunken elements, some of whom were bussed from Rusape.
They are not part and parcel of the local community. When we were about to conduct elections, they disappeared with the voters’ roll.
The local community is saying they must determine what happens to St Faith’s and parents with kids at the school should not be part of the process, which shows a lack of understanding of how schools operate.
They did not understand that this is a consultation for introducing a new model of operation and in terms of substance, there was nothing, absolutely nothing that was material for the decision-making that we want to do…
</blockquote>
Under the privatisation plan parents will pay US$500 for Form Ones and US$900 for Form Fives to the Responsible Authority as Mission Fund, and then pay Government authorised fees to the school.
The mission schools are registered as Trust Schools, with the church as the Responsible Authority.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/furore-over-anglican-schools-privatisation/">Manica Post</a></h4>

ZANU PF Warns Anglican Church Against Privatising Schools

A 61-year-old man who worked for close to 30 years as a caretaker at St Peters Anglican Church in Mabelreign is bitter after the church threw him and his family out of a cottage he had been occupying.
Miphy Madziire has been tossed into the freezing cold with his wife and children following a protracted labour dispute with the parish.
Madziire and his wife and children have been living in the open since Tuesday after the Sheriff’s department evicted him from the church cottage which he had occupied for the past 29 years.
<a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/05/14/five-anglican-church-schools-face-deregistration/">READ MORE: Five Anglican Church Schools Face Deregistration</a>
Speaking to NewsDay on Wednesday, Madziire said he felt cheated by the church, which he served selflessly for close to 30 years. He said:
<blockquote>Last year, the church advised me that they wanted to retire me but we did not agree on the gratuity due to me.</blockquote>
Madziire had been earning a paltry US$25 per month, which was only reviewed to US$32 last year.
He was offered US$300 as gratuity, which he rejected and after engaging a lawyer, the offer was increased to US$1 800, but Madziire feels the figure is still too low.
Also at the centre of the battle is a 300m stand in Norton which the couple bought and paid for in full.
Madziire said he paid over US$5 000 to the diocese but to date, he has not been given the title deeds to the property.
<a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/04/21/zanu-pf-activists-invade-anglican-church-farm-threaten-bishop/">READ MORE: ZANU PF Activists Invade Anglican Church Farm, Threaten Bishop</a>
He said the church had even promised to build him a house at the Norton stand as a way of thanking him for his loyal service but reneged on its pledge.
St Peters Reverend-in-charge Noel Magaya referred all queries to the church lawyer, Patony Musendo, who maintained that the church had acted within the confines of the law.
Musendo said the church opted to retire Madziire because he was no longer able to perform his duties.
He said the church was willing to engage his other son to take over from his father, but he refused.
However, Madziire said his son was told that the post required someone with five O-Level passes, which he did not have.
On the Norton stands, Musendo said these were managed by the diocese and, therefore, the authorities at St Peter’s had no influence on the issue.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2021/06/church-evicts-caretaker-after-30-years-of-service/">NewsDay</a></h4>

Anglican Church Evicts Caretaker (61) After 30 Years Of Service

The Anglican Diocese of Manicaland of the Church of Central Province of Africa (CPCA) is considering privatising some of its renowned schools.
St Augustine’s in Penhalonga, St Faith’s in Makoni and St David’s Bonda Girls High in Mutasa District are among the schools that could be privatised.
In a statement last week, the Bishop of Manicaland, Right Reverend Erick Ruwona, advised stakeholders that they have commenced the process of privatising their schools in line with the institution’s education development plan. He said:
<blockquote>This upgrading process is in response to challenges we have been facing in the delivery of our founding goal of provision of accessible wholesome learning experience to learners in the communities we have established.
The rest of the 53 schools we currently run in Manicaland East Province of Zimbabwe will be upgraded in subsequent phases of the programme.
… Over the years, we have instituted various interventions aimed at addressing the above-stated challenges with little success, thus we have opted to address the challenges from a structural angle.
We are doing this by reverting to our founding status, where our institutions ran without Government salary for teachers or grant aid for the targeted mission schools.</blockquote>
Rev Ruwona said privatising the schools will help to modernise and maintain state-of-the-art infrastructure to meet the needs of the Education 5.0 vision.
He said the final position on the upgrading plan will be communicated by end of July 2021, while the transition period will be from August to December 2021.
The implementation of the upgrading plan to start in January 2022.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/anglican-church-to-privatise-schools" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Sunday Mail</a></h4>

Anglican Church To Privatise Schools

The government has threatened to de-register five schools run by the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland after the church’s decision to levy all Lower Six students a mission fund of US$900.
According to Manica Post, the mission fund which is payable directly to the church has triggered an outcry from local communities, parents and stakeholders who described it as exorbitant, elitist and exclusionary.
The schools are St Faith’s High, St David’s Bonda Girls’ High, St Mary’s Magdalene, St Augustine’s High and St Mathias’ Tsonzo.
On Monday the Manicaland Provincial Education Director (PED), Mr Edward Shumba instructed school heads at the schools to either stick to approved fees which should be paid on a pro-rata basis or stop enrolment of Form Five students.
Meanwhile, the principals at the schools have defied the Government directive and continued demanding the US$900 and tuition fees ranging from $12 000 to $20 000, depending on the school.
Shumba asserted that if the church remains defiant, the schools will be de-registered or become trust schools. He said:
<blockquote>They think they can make any rules they want in their schools but that is illegal. This will get them in a heap of trouble. They must do away with the US$900 or stop enrolment.
Their actions are in violation of Section 21 of the Education Act which bars any responsible authority from charging school fees and levies other than those approved by the ministry.
If they were as genuine as they claim, they should own up and admit their wrongdoing.
The church is getting its 20 per cent share from the school fees and it has no legal basis to insist on a mission fund of US$900.
If they remain defiant, we will de-register them or as they argue, they can become trust schools and compete with other such schools. We will then withdraw our civil servants from there.
It is either they are Government aided mission schools or strictly private, not both.</blockquote>
Anglican Diocese registrar and lawyer, Ashel Mutungura, argued that the diocese is allowed to charge the mission fund.
He said the church is using the money to improve infrastructure at its schools. Said Mutungura:
<blockquote>In the past, this money was being used to buy food for boarder students. The church has to maintain its properties. We are using the mission fund to develop our properties.
We have put up a new block at St Faith’s High School and dormitories at St David’s Bonda Girls’ High as well as St Anne’s Goto. If anything, we have done wonders using those funds.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/anglican-schools-face-deregistration/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Manica Post</a></h4>

Five Anglican Church Schools Face Deregistration

A group of ZANU PF activists who invaded the Anglican Church-owned Cyrene Farm in Figtree, Matabeleland South province, threatened to burn the church’s vehicle after they were ordered to vacate the farm.
The invaders, who were clad in ZANU PF regalia, blocked the deputy sheriff from evicting them and anti-riot police had to be deployed to the farm last Wednesday.
A High Court order HC2444/03 prohibits the activists from occupying the farm but they have vowed to stay put, claiming that hat they were given the land by the government.
An Anglican Church official, who declined to be named told NewsDay that the invaders threatened him with death. He said:
<blockquote>The car they were targeting belongs to the Anglican Church, and I am currently using it. They threatened to kill me. They said they will track me to my home. They are also threatening the bishop.
Those people were abusing the name of Zanu PF because when they commit crimes, they come clad in Zanu PF regalia. They also want to challenge the legality of the court order we were granted to evict them.
They must not hide behind Zanu PF when they illegally settle on farms.</blockquote>
Some of the church’s domestic animals were missing after the settlers destroyed perimeter fences and vandalised infrastructure at the farm, the church official added.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF Matabeleland South chairperson Rabelani Choeni said he was yet to find out if the protestors were genuine party members.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2021/04/zanu-pf-activists-invade-anglican-church-farm/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NewsDay</a></h4>

ZANU PF Activists Invade Anglican Church Farm, Threaten Bishop

The Anglican Church’s Diocese of Harare has appealed to congregants to help one of its bishops who lost five family members in a space of few weeks.
In a letter dated February 4, the Bishop of the Harare Diocese, Right Reverend Dr Farai Mutamiri, notified church members that Bishop Jonathan Siyachitema lost his wife Rosemary, the executive director of the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe.
Mutamiri also revealed that Bishop Siyachitema’s daughters, Elizabeth and Rosemary, as well as brother, Reverend Fanuel Siyachitema, and sister, Mrs Judith Bindu, had all succumbed to COVID-19. He wrote:
<blockquote>As your bishop I am, therefore, appealing to you that, we create a platform at the diocesan level, to pull our little resources together (chema) which we can handover to the family as the diocese of Harare.
This is to try and mitigate the financial challenges that go with the handling of funerals.
May you extend this appeal to guilds and individuals in our churches.</blockquote>
Mutamiri also consoled the Siyachitema family, assuring that they were in the church’s prayers and encouraged them to draw strength from the Word of God. He said:
<blockquote>As a church, we pray for the Lord Almighty to give him the strength to hold on to his faith even in these dark hours of his life.
May God heal their broken hearts and bring that peace which passes all understanding throughout this sad and sorrowful phase in the family’s life.
May Bishop Jonathan also draw strength from the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 71.</blockquote>

Anglican Bishop Loses 5 Family Members To COVID-19

An Anglican priest in Bulawayo, Edgars Kasongo, is reported to be suing his church over unpaid allowances and salaries amounting to $68,000.
Reads part of the priest’s High Court summons:
<blockquote>Plaintiff’s claim is for the payment of the sum of $14,500 being outstanding salaries and allowances, payment of the sum of $54,000 being the cost of wear and tea of plaintiff’s vehicle occassioned from the date of issue ot summons to date of full and final payment…
The defendants [diocese of Matabeleland and Anglican Province of Central Africa] have failed and neglected to pay the plaintiff’s outstanding salaries and benefits despite demand being made of the same…”</blockquote>
It is not clear if Kasongo is still an active priest of the church. The church is yet to respond to the summons.
More: <a href="https://news.co.zw/newspapers-tv/standard/">The Standard</a>

Zim Anglican Priest Sues Church Over Salary

MDC co-vice president Morgen Komichi said that the government should as well arrest the Pope, Head of the Catholic Church as well as the Bishop of Canterbury, the world leader of the Anglican Church for the violence that rocked the country last week.
The state has allegedly targeted opposition activists and trade union leaders fomenting the riots that engulfed the country for three days last week. Komichi said that it was unfair to target only opposition supporters as the protests were citizen-led. Said Komichi:
<blockquote>If we really go back to what happened last week, it was a citizen movement. That is citizens standing up against the government.
Why then be selective and choose the MDC because among the people that were killed, victimised, are some from the Catholic diocese, some from the vendors, it was a mixture of all those people.
Why then be selective and say MDC alone was responsible for the action? If they are to arrest the MDC leadership, they must go and arrest the Pope at the Vatican and the Anglican Bishop because their people were also involved in these mass demonstrations.
We do not want to create a situation where they put the blame on us. The challenge of last week was the people’s challenge and actually triggered by President Mnangagwa himself.</blockquote>
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<h3>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/komichi-to-govt-if-you-arrest-chamisa-also-arrest-the-pope/">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h3>

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