The late Johane Marange Apostolic church leader Noah Taguta's brother, Clements Momberume, has been granted an interim interdict barring the sect from using the sacred burial shrine he was buried at in Mafararikwa Village, Mutare.

The legal challenge could result in exhumation of his remains from the sacred Chinyamukumba Mountain in Marange.

Momberume was granted a prohibitory interdict by Mutare High Court last Wednesday.

He filed the application through his lawyers, Maunga Maanda and Associates, under case number 353/22, on the basis of the separation of family and religious affairs and retained the court's favour on an interim basis.

The order was filed and awarded last week Wednesday, which is on the same day Taguta was buried at the church's shrine, in a twist that pits church leaders with Momberume, who also runs a splinter group dubbed the Johane Marange (Simon Branch).

The first and second respondent includes Saratiel Taguta and Titos Taguta respectively, brothers to the late High Priest.

Mutare magistrate, Langton Carter, granted an interim relief order and further hearing on the matter is set for April 29.

The Johane Marange sect violated the interim order, as in the past, where it went against a number of court orders, by Momberume, a direct sibling of the late Johane Marange Momberume, who was the founder of the apostolic sect.

The order reads, "The 1st and 2nd respondents, their agents or proxies, are barred from interfering with the grave site of the late Johane Muchabaya Momberume at the southwestern side of Chinyamukumba Mountain Range in Taguta Village, Headman Mafararikwa, Chief Marange."

It added: "Pending the return of this matter, the 1st and 2nd respondents, their agents and proxies be, and are hereby barred from pointing, marking, preparing for burial site of the late Johane Machabaya Momberume, which is at the south-western side of Chinyamukumba Mountain Range in Taguta Village, Headman Mafararikwa, Chief Marange."

The interim relief granted further noted that the respondents were barred from burying Noah Taguta at the sacred summit of the Chinyamukumba Mountain Range.

There has been a longstanding brotherly feud between late Noah and Momberume.