My decision on Mokiwa is final, declares Archbishop

Dar es Salaam. The Anglican Church of Tanzania (ACT) Archbishop Dr Jacob Chimeledya, has ordered resignation of Dar es Salaam Diocese Bishop, Dr Valentino Mokiwa, arguing that his decision was the final.

Yesterday, Dr Chimeledya told The Citizen from Dodoma that the church’s constitution as revised in 2004 gave him powers to advise bishops to resign.

“It doesn’t matter whether he accepts or rejects my advice. What is important is that believers in Dar es Salaam Diocese should know that Dr Mokiwa is no longer their bishop according to the constitution” he said.

He noted that, Diocese organs, including the Synod, the Permanent Council and House of the Bishops are mandated to resolve disputes in their respective Dioceses and unsatisfied believers are allowed to appeal to the province.

Dr Chimeledya said if these organs dealt with negligence claims from believers, my office had nothing to do because I’m dealing with an appeal filed by disgruntled devotees from the Diocese.

According to him, the church constitution gives powers to his office to take care of Dioceses with its Diocesan bishops retired or resigned and that Dar es Salaam Diocese would be spiritually taken care of by his office.

Reliable sources within the church told this paper that Article 9 (b) of the church’s constitution gives powers to bishop in chief to advise bishops to resign and retire and issue an order for his resignation in case an advise is refuted.

He said article 17 of the constitution requires a bishop to take an oath of respect to the Bishop in Chief, the Diocese and Province constitution, expressing readiness to resign and retire if caught of looming ethical misconduct.

“A bishop in chief can therefore order Diocese Bishops to resign over pending violation of respect and ethical misconduct. In this case, Dr Mokiwa is also supposed evaluate himself and act,” he said on conditions of anonymity.

“What Dr Mokiwa is doing is like a minister refusing the President’s order for resignation” he added.

Wrangles within Anglican Church started at the weekend after Dr Chimeledya had issued Dr Mokiwa a resignation letter.

The church’s leader in the Diocese, among other things, alleged that Dr Mokiwa refused to assist a special committee formed to investigate fraud and alleged abuse of office.

The special committee is tasked to investigate fraud amounted to over Sh200 million in connection with a special account opened at the Dar es Salaam Commercial Bank (DCB).

He is also accused him of failing to supervise church assets in collaboration with other church organs by allowing the leasing of 200 hectares of land in an allegedly shoddy contract.

However, Dr Mokiwa rejected a call to resign and retire with Information and Communication Officer in the Diocese, Yohana Sanga saying the church constitution had been violated.

“For a bishop to resign, according to ACT constitution, decisions first need to be approved by the Synod, the Permanent Council and the House of Bishops, the organs he claimed were bypassed,” said Mr Sanga.