The Anglican Province of Central Africa may have sacked The Rt Rev Nolbert Kunonga as Bishop of Mugabe Harare, but the news doesn’t seem to have registered with all Zimbabwe Anglicans.

Two months ago, The Rt Rev Dr Sebastian Bakare, retired Bishop of Manicaland, was appointed acting Bishop of Harare for a year while a permanent replacement is found.  Earlier this week, services in at least two Harare parishes were disrupted by supporters of Bp Kunonga.  Police had to be called to both churches.

Anglican parishioners in Marlborough, Harare, had to abandon their Christmas church service on Tuesday when a row erupted between supporters of the former bishop of Harare diocese, Nolbert Kunonga. and its interim head, Bishop Sebastian Bakare.

Eyewitnesses said a priest suspected of being an agent of the government's Central Intelligence Organization beat up a parishioner who was praying for the well-being of Bishop Bakare, and the service was abandoned after police were called in.

Some congregation members said they have resolved to stop collecting offerings.

The Borrowdale, Harare, Anglican church was also said to have been in an uproar on Sunday when the head of the parish barred Bishop Bakare from leading mass, resulting in intervention by the police.

Last month, Bp Kunonga forged correspondence stating that Bp Bakare rejected the appointment because the pay and perks were inadequate and got the story published in the Mugabe mouthpiece The Harare Herald.

Bp Bakare blames church leadership, including Archbishop of Central Africa Bernard Malango, for allowing Kunonga to hang on as bishop for as long as he did.

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UPDATE (29 Dec.): Last night, police broke up a fight at another Anglican church in Harare.