ANGLICAN Bishop Nolbert Kunonga wants the leadership and choir of the Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints in Harare banned from attending services and visiting church buildings in the Harare diocese.

He said they had allegedly disrupted church services by joining other parishioners in accusing him of abusing his position by preaching pro-Zanu PF sermons.

Kunonga has filed an application in the civil magistrates' courts in Harare for a temporary order barring the leadership and choir members from disrupting services and from visiting his home in Chisipite.

The leadership includes two wardens; Ambrose Chikukwa and Newton Nyamupingidza, and 12 councillors: Llewlyn Nhamo, Albert Nhamoyebonde, Chenai Chitakunye, Sekai Chibaya, Pauline Makoni, Winnie Murape, Merjory Chombe, Graham Gilmour, Stanley Tsingo, George Mapuwire, Walter Gwete and Solomon Rondozai.

The choir members are: Thompson Mapuranga, Emmanuel Makanza, Florence Gambiza, Bernard Kafesu and Canford Danga.

Kunonga wants them prevented from visiting his offices at Paget-Pax house, the Cathedral and its parking bay and holding meetings, apart from church services. He wants Nhamo, a councillor, ordered to surrender the keys to a number of church buildings.

Kunonga is seeking an order directing the Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe Limited to freeze the account opened by the church's wardens and councillors.

In his founding affidavit, Kunonga says he is applying for the orders against the 19 church members because of a number of events.

He said he was supposed to have certified Chikukwa and Nyamupingidza's election as wardens within 14 days after the voting on 18 August, but had resumed duties before 25 August when they were to be admitted into office.

"The wardens have taken it upon themselves to subvert the authority delegated by myself," he said.

"They are acting contrary to their duties to the detriment of the church in that they met with the 12 councillors on 22 August where the council resolved to 'fight Kunonga'."

He said they opened a bank account with Standard Chartered Bank in the Cathedral's name when there was an account already operational.

Councillors and choir members were not diligently performing their duties, he said.

The choir, Kunonga said, refused to provide music during the service on 9 June resulting in him banning it from participating in the church's activities.

The wardens and councillors later issued an "illegal directive" to the parish to disrupt proceedings during services, he said.

Kunonga said: "They led the congregation on 23 June into singing uncontrollably, resulting in Father Manyau failing to conduct the service."

Three other reverends - Leonard Muzhingi, Wilfred Zhuwankinyu and Linos Makore - whose services had been disturbed had also written to him, he said, adding that their conduct was unacceptable and likely to cause a breach of the peace.

He said: "Nhamo, one of the councillors, changed the locks to the Dean's office and is keeping the keys. He also without authority received several keys to the Cathedral and associated buildings from Manyau who had since been dismissed."