Fury as Disqualified Mwazha Faction Granted Access to Guhambwa and Ndarekure Sacred Shrines

Special Correspondent.

HARARE— Fractures within the African Apostolic Church (AAC)—renowned as the “White Army”—have reached a dramatic zenith, as congregants vehemently confront administrative leaders over the continued usurpation of the institution’s holy sanctuaries by an uncompromising schismatic faction.

Mainstream congregants, who bankrolled protracted High Court and Supreme Court litigation to safeguard ecclesiastical assets, are now demanding an absolute prohibition against the splinter group’s access to the sacred Guvambwa Shrine near Sadza Growth Point. The revered sanctuary is traditionally reserved exclusively for the solemn consecration and ordination of top-tier clergy.

The conflict has metastasized following disclosures that the dissident sect is organizing a massive assembly at the holy Ndarikure Shrine in Chirumanzi.

This tempestuous struggle for stewardship over the multi-million-member denomination traces back to a contentious succession dispute that erupted prior to the demise of its centenarian founder, Archbishop Ernest Paul Mwazha, at the age of 107. Insider accounts indicate that the initial rift was orchestrated by the late former Secretary-General, Richard Juru, who manipulated the founder’s senior offspring to execute an ecclesiastical coup.

Spearheading the breakaway faction are the founder’s elder sons: Alfred Kushamisa Mwazha, James Mwazha, and Ngonidzashe Edward Mwazha. All three were systematically disqualified from leadership after violating canonical tenets. Institutional records substantiate that Ngonidzashe Edward Mwazha defected to the Johane Marange Apostolic Church, contracting polygamous unions, while Alfred Kushamisa Mwazha briefly aligned with the Seventh-day Adventist Church before resurfacing to assert a hereditary claim to the AAC patriarchate.

Despite these disqualifications, the elder siblings mounted a fierce challenge against the designated heir, the late founder’s youngest son, Tawanda Israel Mwazha, who was formally consecrated and established as the canonical leader of the church.

Although judicial protocols dictating property usage mandate explicit administrative authorization for minor factions entering sacred grounds, congregants argue that permitting defector-led entities to perform rituals at Guvambwa and Ndarikure desecrates the spiritual heritage of the ministry. The splinter movement’s operational machinery continues to be underwritten by prominent allies, notably transport magnate Tinashe Mukumba of Mukumba Buses.

Disillusionment among the rank-and-file has galvanized into a mandate for total reconciliation or complete exclusion. Mainstream adherents contend that extending access rights to a rebellious enclave renders dual administrative structures redundant, insisting the church must either fully re-integrate under Archbishop Tawanda Israel Mwazha or permanently banish the dissidents from its holy precincts.