N.Z. priest sacked by African bishop

Press, 23 July 1986, Page 6

N.Z. priest sacked by African bishop

By

FRANCIS MDLONGWA

of Reuters (through NZPA) Harare A . New Zealander, Michael Lapsley, an Anglican priest in Harare who is also a member of the African National Congress (A.N.C.), said he had been sacked by his Bishop. Mr Lapsley told Reuters by telephone from his church in the black suburb of Mbare that Bishop Peter Hatendi had given him no reasons for

the dismissal which took effect last Saturday. Bishop Hatendi, a black Zimbabwean who heads the Anglican Church in the country, was not available for comment Mr Lapsley, aged 37, said he believed he had been sacked because of his membership of the A.N.C., the main black nationalist guerrilla group fighting to topple South Africa’s white-led Government

“But by belonging to the A.N.C. I am not contradicting any Church laws. After all, you cannot be

involved in people’s affairs without necessarily being drawn into politics,” he said. Mr Lapsley, who was recruited from the University of Zimbabwe and had been at Mbare for 8 year, said his dismissal letter required him to stop conducting Church services and to leave the Church house. “But my contract says I should be given at least six months notice and this has not been followed. As a result I have taken my case to the Ministry of Labour,’’ he said.