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Court Reporter
A LOCAL Pentecostal church, Royal Family International, has approached the Mutare Civil Court seeking a peace order against former congregants they are accusing of defamation against the religious assembly.
Bella Mutandari, a pastor in the church, Abel Chamboko and Tinashe Nzou told the court that Brenda Deka and Loveness Chaita are in the habit of spreading defaming information about the church.
“The two are in the habit of spreading lies and influencing some members to leave the church. The same people come back and confide in me the bad things Deka and Chaita would have said about the church,” said Mutandiri.
She added that as a pastor in the congregation, it was her duty to defend the name and protect the image of the church against what she termed unwarranted attacks.
Mutandiri said since the respondents had left the church they should no longer have any business with or interest in the church.
Chamboko accused Deka of spreading falsehoods that the church leader’s, bishop Action Komani, had once taken her in as his concubine.
However, both Deka and Chaita denied the allegations.
“I do not understand why the church is dragging us to court. If we did something wrong to the congregants, then it is those individuals who should be making an issue about it. It is also my right to discuss with whoever asks me what transpired during my time in the church. I am not defaming their church in any way,” said Chaita.
She added that there are deep-running issues in the church and some disgruntled members are being gagged to come out in the open.
In his ruling, Mutare magistrate Mr Xavier Chipato dismissed the case, saying the applicants presented unclear accusations.
He ordered the applicants and the respondents to maintain peace between each other.
Online Reporter