Pastor arrested for theft

Liberty Dube
A PASTOR with the African Independent Church (Mushakata) was recently sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after he stole a cellphone, $200 and shoes that belonged to fellow a church member and advisor in the church.

Rueben Chivayi, who was embroiled in the long-standing rift between members of the Independent African Church (Mushakata) in Dangamvura and the church’s former conference chairman, Mr Darlington Muzanechita and his cabal will serve an effective four months jail term after four months were suspended for four years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence.

Other four months were suspended on condition that Chivayi restitutes Bothwell Matereke (74) $397 on or before March 30.

A Kadoma court heard that sometime in May last year, Chivayi visited Matereke, an African Independent Church Kadoma, Venice Assembly advisor, Matereke who offered Chivayi accommodation for the days he was staying in Kadoma.

On the day he left Kadoma, he took away a cellphone worth $168, shoes valued at $29 and a wallet which contained $200. Matereke reported the matter to Battlefields Police Station in Kadoma Rural.

Chivayi was among the six church members who were last month ordered by Mutare magistrate, Mrs Yeukai Chigodora to keep order towards 15 applicants and desist from barring the applicants from worshipping at Dangamvura Assembly and causing mayhem and confusion at the church.

In an interview, Mushakata’s provincial administration chairman, Mr Enock Dzumbira, said after serving the effective four months, Chivayi would come back as an ordinary member.

“According to the church’s constitution, a pastor loses his job if he is involved in acts of misconduct. Once he is back, he will be an ordinary member,” he said.