Tembo says she
was unjustly suspended and later dismissed after seeking the truth about Pastor
Leonard Changara’s rumoured upcoming marriage. Changara, who is the younger
brother of the church bishop, continues to work at CCM and recently got a
promotion, while Tembo was left jobless and struggling to care for her two
children.
“I was
suspended on April 24, 2023 and the organisation never updated me on the
suspension status. Then I received a termination letter without any hearing or
investigation,” Tembo said. “I asked why Changara was allowed to keep working
while I faced punishment. Their answer was ‘he is family’.’’
In January
2024, a stressed Tembo was called into a meeting with her immediate boss and
the HR officer. Already worried about her children’s schooling and with no
salary for eight months, she was handed a letter titled
“Settlement of employment and due allowances”. Feeling pressured, she signed it without a witness or proper explanation.
“What makes
this unfair is I signed under duress, not in the right frame of mind and had no
one to explain the letter. I just focused on the money because I needed it
desperately,” she said.
Tembo argues
the church and organisation should have separate rules. Her contract never
forbade relationships, and hers did not affect her work. Two other pastors
involved in workplace relationships were suspended but returned with help from
counsellors.
She says the
CCM director, Chipo Changara, refused to support her and warned that reporting
to the Ministry of Labour would mean she didn’t want her job back. Tembo claims
the church targets women while protecting men.
“I want to
expose the organisation’s failure to treat staff fairly. I felt unprotected and
insecure the entire time,” she said.
Celebration
Church spokesperson Pastor Muguta declined to comment by phone and later asked
for written questions. At press time, no response had been received. H Metro
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