ED Mnangagwa has been sucked into the succession battle between the sons of 102 years old African Apostolic Church leader Archbishop Paul Mwazha, popularly known as Mudzidzisi.
This comes after the youngest son went to Mnangagwa to announce they he has been appointed the successor, a claim that was disputed by the younger son.
The dispute took place at the Mudzidzisi’s Hatfield residence involving his second born son Alfred Kushamisa Mwazha and other family members.
Alfred and his 2 elder brothers went to the property to initiate a succession ceremony and were stopped by Alfred’s nephews Nyasha Mwazha and Malcom Chapfunga, who argued that the Archbishop preferred his youngest son, Tawanda, who was away, to succeed him.
Both parties said they were basing their argument on a letter written by Archbishop Mwazha’s aide on the instructions of the church leader earlier this year, stating that Tawanda should continue presiding over the holy communion ceremony in the church.
Alfred argued that Archbishop Mwazha said he should lead the church because his two elder brothers were no longer eligible for the position since they had both left the church to join the Seventh Day Adventist and Johanne Marange churches.
“When the aide wrote what my father had said, the paper was read to all the sons. We had come so that the letter could be read again, but as you can see our nephews are not allowing us into the house to see our father,” he said.
Nyasha and Malcom, who had been staying with their grandfather since the death of their grandmother, the Archbishop’s second wife, said Archbishop Mwazha had clearly indicated that Tawanda had the same gifts as him.
Nyasha argued that it was reckless for his uncle, Alfred, to bring people to the house for the succession ceremony when the country was battling Covid-19.
Police officers were called in when tempers flared at Archbishop Mwazha’s residence yesterday.
“Our grandfather is now old and we have been told that old people are susceptible to Covid 19; why then bring all these people here and endangering his health?
“Besides, why do they want to succeed the Archbishop when he is still alive?” Nyasha urged Alfred to follow proper procedures.
