ZCC dispute in police hands

The dispute in which some members of the Aerodrome FO22 in Francistown have resisted relocating from the church plot has attracted Tatitown Police after a case of malicious damage to property was reported to them recently.

A rift developed inside the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) fraternity when the Aerodrome branch was told to relocate to Block 1 where they should join the area branch.

When contacted, Detective Assistant Superintendent, Lawrence Nthoiwa of Tatitown Police Station confirmed that his station was investigating a case of malicious damage to property. “One of the pastors of the Aerodrome branch reported a case of malicious damage to property and nobody has been charged yet, because we are still investigating the matter,” he said.

It is alleged that after notification for Aerodrome FO22 church to merge with the Block 1 branch, a group of concerned members resisted and continued to congregate at the same plot. The group admitted in an interview recently, that they had been reported to the police by the branch pastors for breaking the gate lock.

“After the decision to move us to Block 1, we continued meeting and worshipping as usual. The church leadership then decided to lock the gate. For the three weeks that the gate was locked, we met outside the gate and continued to worship,” said one member of the concerned group. He revealed that his group even went to the Tatitown Customary Court with the hope that the court president would reconcile the two church factions. Kgosi Motlatsi Kediseng of Tatitown Customary Court confirmed meeting the concerned group.

“After listening to them, I advised that they go back and meet over their differences but it looks like they have not reconciled. I am aware that the matter is now with the police,” said Kediseng. When it became clear that the church leadership would not open the gate, the group forcibly opened the gate. In the interview, the group explained that the main reason for their refusal to move is that among other things, they doubt the authenticity of the letters that were read in the church purporting to have been authored by Bishop Lekganyane in South Africa.

“We also expected to be given a further platform to ask questions about the implications of the move but it is clear our leaders do not want to engage us further. There has been no consultation,” said one member of the concerned group in an interview.