adminare safe, a Government official has said.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Lazarus Dokora, said Archbishop Kunonga’s moves had not affected learning.
Speaking after visiting Daramombe Mission near Chivhu on a “fact finding mission” last week, Cde Dokora said contrary to reports by some people, the schools’ system was “flowing smoothly”.
The faction led by Archbishop Kunonga recently evicted a priest, headmasters and senior nursing staff at the school on the basis of a Supreme Court judgment that gave it custody of the properties.
The saga has also spilled into Parliament with some MPs saying the evictions were destroying the country’s education system.
Archbishop Kunonga is set to claim the Bernard Mzeki Shrine in Marondera, St Johns Chikwaka Mission and Shearley Cripps Children’s Home in Murehwa using the same Supreme Court order.
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But Cde Dokora, who was accompanied by ministry officials to Daramombe, said Government was “unfazed” by the religious battles as school pupils and teachers were not affected.
“We went there to find the natural conditions at the school following the various reports,” he said. “Surprisingly, the reports are completely divorced from the situation on the ground. The school system is flowing normally and we met villagers, who did not recognise us and talked to them, without them knowing who we were.”
Cde Dokora said the story that school systems were being affected had been exaggerated and the Government was not worried about the legal battles in the church.
Those evicted by the Deputy Sheriff included priest Muyengwa Murombedzi, Daramombe headmaster, Mr Denford Javangwe, Daramombe Primary School head and senior nursing staff.
The Daramombe Mission priest has since secured temporary shelter from followers in the community, while the two headmasters and nurses refused to recognise Archbishop Kunonga.
He has accused the Church of the Province of Central Africa, Harare Diocese leader Bishop Chad Gandiya and Masvingo diocese’s Bishop Godfrey Taonezvi, of selectively interpreting the Supreme Court judgment.
Online Reporter