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This was after Bishop Gandiya’s group wrote to Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa asking him to intervene on their behalf.
But Bishop Gandiya and his colleagues presented a dossier to President Mugabe, which touched on several allegations that are before the courts.
The group also attacked the leader of the Province of Zimbabwe Archbishop Nolbert Kunonga, the police and other Anglican Church members.
The delegation was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams.
“We respectfully ask you, as Head of State and of the Executive in Zimbabwe, to put an end to this illegal harassment by some members of the police, whose mandate is to protect civilians and allow us once again to use the properties, which are rightfully ours, so that we may worship God in peace and serve our communities and our country,” read part of the appeal.
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In the dossier, Bishop Gandiya made stunning claims, including that bishops from his church were being intimidated at gunpoint.
He said police played a major role in the “persecution”.
“Priests and deacons are arrested without charge on a weekly basis, often on Friday, allowing the police to hold them over the weekend without charge so that they cannot minister to their congregations,” Bishop Gandiya alleged.
“Many members of our congregations have been assaulted and have needed hospital treatment.
“There are numerous incidents of whole congregations being teargassed and beaten.”
Bishop Gandiya alleged that some of the church members were murdered.
“In Harare, the police have disrupted services and have been using teargas and baton sticks to drive people out of church buildings,” he said.
Archbishop Kunonga left the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa over its alleged acceptance of homosexuality and now leads the independent Anglican Church of the Province of Zimbabwe.
Bishop Gandiya said in the dossier that Archbishop Kunonga had since launched a deliberate move to persecute other Anglicans using the police.
National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena however, dismissed the allegations saying police had nothing to do with the dispute.
He said police only intervened when crimes were being committed.
“The two factions should not bring the police in their fight,” he said.
“We only come in when a crime has been committed and when there is a breach of peace.”
Snr Asst Comm Bvudzijena said there had been assaults and disorderly situations within the church that warranted police response.
“The police intervention was within the law,” he said.
In the dossier, Bishop Gandiya appealed to other churches to help resolve the dispute.
“Our appeal to the Christian community in Zimbabwe is that all should stand up for justice,” he said.
“That all should speak against the unlawful arrest of our people, the beatings and teargassing of our congregations.”
The dossier contained the dispute over control of properties that is before the Supreme Court.
Reverend Admire Chisango of the Anglican Church of the Province of Zimbabwe said most of the issues in the dossier were false.
“If you are in a competition, people tend to say things that are not true to win favours,” he said.
“We do not have time to use the police outside their line of work. We use court orders and it is the job of the police to enforce them.”
Rev Chisango said they did not conduct affairs outside the rule of law.
He said Archbishop Kunonga’s church was not affiliated to any political party.
“They are accusing us of being supported by Zanu-PF, yet they go to the leader of that party to seek help,” said Rev Chisango.
“Their allegations are baseless, meaningless and destructive.”
The dispute in the Anglican Church has held the nation spellbound, with the matter constantly attracting attention in the courts.
Online Reporter