BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
Scores of Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) church worshippers in Marondera were yesterday left stranded after rival factions clashed over premise ownership, resulting in police being called to quell the violence.
When NewsDay arrived at Divine Truth Revival Centre (DTRC) assembly in Cherima high-density suburb, the two belligerent groups of congregants were singing different songs as they tried to outclass each other.
Police then called the leaders of the rival factions to make peace.
However, some of the congregants would have none of it and left the premises while others remained sitting inside.
By midday, there was no church service as police were involved in lengthy discussions with the two faction leaders.
This paper gathered that the Cosum Chiyangwa-led faction was holding a service when the Amon Madawo-linked group came and started disturbing proceedings in a move that irked the other faction, resulting in the chaos.
“The Chiyangwa faction is the one owning this church and we were surprised to see a group coming to disturb the proceedings. There was chaos after both factions sang different hymns. We had to call the police to quell the violence. This has affected the congregants during the 12-day fasting period by congregants,” one of the congregants said.
NewsDay gathered that the church premises falls under one Mashonaland East provincial overseer identified as Gwizo, who is reportedly a Chiyangwa sympathiser. However, most of the AFM assemblies in Marondera are now under the Madawo faction, hence the move to invade the Chiyangwa-linked church.
Efforts to get a comment from both faction leaders were fruitless because they refused to entertain the media.
