President Lazarus Chakwera has cancelled plans to attend prayer service at the Anglican Church in Mangochi following disagreements over the venue of the prayer service.
According to our sources at Malindi Parish in Mangochi, the cancellation has been made due to divisions between Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire leadership and Petitioners in the church over the venue of the Sunday service prayers.
Prayers were initially scheduled to be held today at St Martin’s Church but Diocesan Bishop Brighton Malasa changed the venue of prayers to St Michael’s Secondary School Hall in fear of Christians boycotting the service. 
Members agreed to boycott the prayers to show that they are tired of Malasa’s leadership.
The leadership of Malindi Parish at St Martin’s Church mobilised members not to attend Sunday prayers at secondary school hall but at the church as normal.
“We wanted to show the nation that we don’t want Bishop Malasa in the diocese as our bishop because of his behaviour which has brought division in the diocese,” said one of the Priests.
He said they are happy with the cancellation of the Presidential Sunday service prayers because it has acted as warning to Bishop Malasa.
One of the Petitioners who attended the meeting on Saturday said they decided to cancel the service because there were some disagreements over the venue for prayers.
“We the Petitioners wanted these prayers to take place at St Martin’s church upon our involvement in the programme not in the hall as leadership of Malasa decided while excluding us. We are also against the presence of Malasa whom we banned from conducting any service,” he added.
Petitioners at the Anglican Church have been demanding the resignation of their leader Malasa due to various allegations against him.
