Apostolic Faith Mission’s (AFM) ownership saga may be over after its former general-secretary, Reverend Amon Dubie Madawo, succumbed to pressure and admitted his breakaway faction was illegally using the church’s name.
The battle to control AFM started in 2018, resulting in the emergence of two rival camps, one led by Rev. Madawo and the other by Rev. Cossam Chiangwa who was the church’s former deputy president.
Rev. Madawo filed an affidavit at the Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court Friday, admitting the church he leads is not registered with the Deeds Office and will desist from using the AFM name and symbols.
Rev. Chiangwa’s affiliates had earlier approached the Bulawayo High Court seeking an order to prohibit Rev. Madawo and his faction from using the church’s registered name.
In an affidavit signed by Clever Mupakaidzwa, one of the cited respondents from the Madawo-led camp also admitted their church was not registered, as alleged by the applicants.
“It is disputed that the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe is registered with the Deeds and Companies Registries Office as alleged. The Constitution they produced before the court is not in use in the AFM Church,” read part of the affidavit.
AFM’s most senior retired president, Dr Enos Manyika, through his lawyers Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers, filed an application at the Bulawayo High Court citing Reverends Madawo, Clever Mupakaidza, Brian Tembo, Christopher Chemhuru and the AFM in Zimbabwe as respondents.
In his founding affidavit, Dr Manyika said he was AFM’s founding president who spearheaded the registration of the church in 2001 under registration number CF220/01.
“I am a representative of the church and also its founding president who caused the registration of the AFM in 2001. It has come to my understanding and knowledge that the respondents are using the registered name of the church and causing the creation of a parallel constitution, which is separate and alien to the one registered and filed with the Registrar of Companies,” stated Dr Manyika.
“The respondents do not have neither the blessings nor authority of the church to use its name or any of its symbols. They have already indicated on oath that they do not associate or align themselves with the registered constitution of the church.”
