By Fanuel Chinowaita
Harare, 27 April 2026— Fresh controversy has erupted within the Independent African Church (Mushakata) amid allegations that a church member, identified as Tom Aaron, may have forged Ordinary Level qualifications to secure a leadership position, while some senior figures are now reportedly pushing to relax academic requirements to accommodate him.
According to a source close to the developments, Aaron allegedly submitted falsified Form Four results during the last leadership election. The certificate in question reportedly bears a centre number linked to Bulawayo, while indicating it was issued by Mufakosi High School in Harare — a discrepancy that has raised suspicions about its authenticity.
Church rules reportedly require at least five O Level passes for one to qualify for a leadership position within Mushakata. The source claims the matter was previously “swept under the carpet” to avoid scandal within the church.
“At the time, the issue was not pursued to protect the image of the church, but now it is becoming a concern because there are efforts to change the requirements so that he can qualify,” the source said.
The same source alleges that Aaron should have faced disciplinary action, including possible arrest, for allegedly forging academic results. Instead, he is said to be positioning himself once again for a leadership role ahead of upcoming internal processes.
The allegations come against the backdrop of a governing board meeting held on January 31, 2026, at Dombotombo Assembly, where broader governance and leadership issues were discussed. Minutes from the meeting show that church leaders deliberated on qualifications for leadership, including a controversial waiver allowing candidates without standard academic requirements to be considered.
The meeting, attended by senior clergy and lay leaders, also dealt with internal challenges such as financial constraints, failure to pay stipends and leadership disputes.
A tied vote on whether to proceed with an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to address leadership matters resulted in a resolution to maintain the acting bishop, Rev. S. Karidzamimba, in office until the next Annual General Meeting in November 2026.
While the minutes do not explicitly reference the alleged forgery case, the ongoing debate around leadership qualifications has intensified scrutiny within the church.
Efforts to obtain official comment from church authorities were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
The developments are likely to deepen divisions within the Mushakata congregation as questions of integrity, governance and adherence to church rules take centre stage.