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Whether there are too many church disputes being resolved by secular courts in Zimbabwe?

There are too many church and para-church related disputes which are being resolved by the secular courts in Zimbabwe. A look at the Zimbabwe Law Reports (ZLR) which shows the reported judgments in Zimbabwe, shows the increasing number of cases which the courts have had to consider, which include but are not limited to:

• Independent African Church v Maheya 1998 (1) ZLR 552 (H);

• Sibanda v Church of Christ 1994 (1) ZLR 74 (S);

• Independent African Church v Maheya 2000 (1) ZLR 39 (H);

• Zambezi Conference of Seventh Day Adventists v Seventh Day Adventist Association of Southern Africa 2000 (1) ZLR 179 (H);

• Zambezi Conference of Seventh Day Adventists v General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists & Another 2001 (1) ZLR 160 (S);

• Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon & Another v Baltzell & Others 2005 (1) ZLR 368 (H);

• Maheya v Independent African Church 2007 (2) ZLR 319 (S);

• Diocese of Harare v Church of Province of Central Africa & Another (1) ZLR 2008 (1) ZLR 112 (H);

• Church of the Province of Central Africa v Kunonga & Another 2008 (1) ZLR 413 (S);

• Christian Faith Tabernacle v Sparrows Nest Ministries 2009 (2) ZLR 15 (H);

• Diocesan Trustees, Diocese of Harare v Church of the Province of Central Africa 2009 (2) ZLR 57 (H);

• Diocesan Trustees, Diocese of Harare v Church of the Province of Central Africa 2010 (1) ZLR 267 (S);

• Church of the Province of Central Africa v Diocesan Trustees, Diocese of Harare 2010 (1) ZLR 364 (H);

• Free Methodist Church of Zimbabwe v Dube & Others 2012 (1) ZLR 103 (H);

• Church of the Province of Central Africa v Jakazi & Others (1) 2010 (1) ZLR 246 (H);

• Church of the Province of Central Africa v Jakazi & Others (2) 2010 (1) ZLR 262 (H);

• Jakazi & Another v Church of Province of Central Africa & Others 2010 (1) ZLR 335 (H);

• Church of the Province of Central Africa v Diocesan Trustees, Harare Diocese 2012 (2) ZLR 392 (S);

• Church of the Province of Central Africa v Diocesan Trustees, Harare Diocese 2012 (2) ZLR 392 (S);

• S v Gumbura 2014 (2) ZLR 539 (S);

• Munerwa v Reformed Church in Zimbabwe; Chikwakwata & Others v Reformed Church in Zimbabwe 2017 (2) ZLR 263 (H);

• Sibanda & Another v Apostolic Faith Mission 2018 (2) ZLR 80 (S);

• Harare Wetlands Trust & Another v New Life Covenant Church & Others 2019 (3) ZLR 1246 (H) and

• Mwazha & Others v Mhambare 2021 (2) ZLR 218 (S).