Botswana Police Service was called in to disperse members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) who are deemed disloyal to the church last Sunday in Tlokweng.
Members of the ZCC are divided over whether or not to allow a eleven-man delegation challenging the way the church is governed in the country to be part of church services or not.
The Church leaders have already approached Kgosi Michael Spokes Gaborone of Batlokwa to intervene on the matter.
The Telegraph can confirm that last Wednesday Kgosi Gaborone met with the delegation challenging the governance of the church.
According to Kgosi Gaborone he was approached by the church leadership to intervene in the matter that wiped out peace within the church.
“I addressed these men on Wednesday. These are the same men who have dragged the church before the court. They call themselves ‘Mokhukhu’. I am told they are misbehaving at church. I tried to show them that the laws of this Republic should be respected. Their case is before the courts of law and we expect the courts to deal with the matter as presented to the courts. But now there is continued fights amongst these members and other members of the church who are anti their move,” said Kgosi Gaborone.
Kgosi Gaborone said few weeks ago Police had to be called in Mochudi after the same men stabbed one of the church members with a screw driver.
“They do not want to listen. I told them this is not the way of dealing with a matter. This last Sunday I was informed that the same men were misbehaving during a Sunday church session. I did not go but I called the Police to help the situation and they were taken to Tlokweng Police for questioning,” said Gaborone.
On the other hand the leader of the 11 men, Tshiamo Tladi told The Telegraph that the church leadership are bribing the police and Kgosi Gaborone to have them removed in Tlokweng.
“We were surprised on Sunday when the police arrived and forced us to the police station where the station commander told us not to do mokhukhu anymore at the church. Prior to Sunday we met with Kgosi Gaborone who said almost the same thing that was said by the Station Commander,” said Tladi.
Tshiamo confirmed the Mochudi incident alleging that his team attacked and injured one of the church members.
“No screw driver was used in that incident. The church leaders made that up and reported it to the police, who are also bribed by the church leadership. We have come to a situation whereby every weekend Police are called into church because of infighting,” said Tladi.
The 11-man delegation says they are determined to stand for the constitution of the church. They say they will make sure that the church is governed by the constitution.
“We will not tolerate corruption in the church,” Tladi told this publication.
