Jakazi kicked out

Cletus Mushanawani News Editor
FOUNDING bishop of Evangelical Anglican Church International, Bishop Elson Madoda Jakazi was last week fired for contravening the church’s constitution among a host of other allegations.

However, Bishop Jakazi who was excommunicated from the main Anglican Church came out guns blazing on Wednesday and labelled those pushing for his ouster as spineless cowards who should state their agenda clearly.

The church’s national court sat last week and a guilty verdict was passed on Bishop Jakazi leading to his ouster with immediate effect.

He was barred from addressing, preaching and interfering with the affairs and activities of any EACI assemblies with immediate effect.

He was also ordered to surrender any assets, property and documents that belong to the church and immediately vacate the church’s offices at Number 29, Second Street in Mutare.

On October 31, the church suspended Bishop Jakazi without any allowances and benefits.

In its suspension letter, the church’s conference wrote: “The grounds of your suspension are based on allegations that you have committed various acts of misconduct and thereby contravening Section 30 (1) (v), Section 30 (1) (vii), Section 30 (1) (vii) and Section 9:13 of the Evangelical Anglican Church International Constitution. These allegations are as follows: 5.1 (unbecoming of a bishop); 5.2 (wilfully contravening the constitution); 5.3 (general neglect of duties after admonition by a legally constituted body) and 5.4 (exercising veto powers on resolutions of the National Council.”

Bishop Jakazi is also alleged to have contravened Section 30 (1) (v) by attesting to an affidavit in Case Number HC 10134/15 in which he was cited as the first respondent.

“Through your affidavit signed on the 27th of October, 2015 and attached to the Notice of Opposition filed with the High Court on the 28th of October 2015 on the same matter, you misrepresented that the third respondent (the church) was not opposed to the granting of an order being sought by the applicants, yet you had not sought the decision of the National Council.

“Allegations of contravening Section 30 (1) (vii) of the Constitution are based on the fact that you refused to have the National Conference held on 30-31 October 2015 despite it being stated in the Constitution that, the National Conference should be held at least not less than once in two years.

“On the October 30 2015 at 1600 hours you briefly attended the National Conference held at the church headquarters at Number 29, 2nd Street, Mutare and left after indicating that you were not agreeable to the holding of the conference despite the National Council having agreed through two-thirds majority to hold the National Conference,” read the suspension letter.

The church’s court which was presided over by Bishop Phillip Bonde found Bishop Jakazi guilty of all the offences.

However, Bishop Jakazi who snubbed the court said he could not be fired from a ministry he founded.

“I don’t recognise these people who presided over my alleged firing. I am still leading the church. Those pushing for my ouster should come out in the open because they have been harbouring this agenda for a long time. They are out to grab all the property we had acquired.

“From the onset they wanted to have their own ministry and used my name to pursue their own agenda, a reason why they wanted a name change every time. I will never change the name of my ministry because I have my roots in the Anglican Church and I am still the bishop of the church,” he said.

Bishop Jakazi challenged the church’s national conference chairman, Mr Peter Makombe to come out in the open and declare his interests in leading the breakaway church.

“I am not stupid to be lured into a fight by people like Makombe who do not want to come out in the open, but hide behind other people. Even you the media you are protecting him (Makombe), but this shows how spineless some people are to ride on other people’s backs.

“I am now worried about what they are doing. They are using maize and other goodies to lure people to their church, but we are there to convert people through Jesus’ name.

“What they are doing is all nonsense and I will not work with them again. A ministry is full time work, than having streetwise people masquerading as pastors.

“I am an ordained bishop and I will ordain more priests into my ministry and I can assure you it will continue growing. This is not a Jakazi issue because I have been ministering for the past 34 years.

“I am from Shurugwi, but I came here to Manicaland to work for God and I will continue doing so.

“Ministry work is from God and not from humans,” said Bishop Jakazi.

Repeated efforts to get a comment from Mr Makombe proved fruitless at the time of going to print as he was said to be out of office, while his mobile number was diverted to his office.