The Rt. Rev. Valentino Mokiwa has until year’s end to resign, or he will be deposed from office by the Anglican Church of Tanzania

The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania has given the Bishop of Dar es Salaam until the end of the year to resign, or he will be dismissed from office for corruption. Sources within the church tell Anglican Ink the primate and general secretary of the East African Church have pressed the Rt. Rev. Valentino Mokiwa to resign with dignity rather than be forced from office.

On 21 Nov 2016 the House of Bishops reviewed the findings of a May provincial standing committee report that concluded the Rt. Rev. Valentino Mokiwa had leased to commercial developers over three dozen diocesan properties without the consent of the diocesan standing committee or synod. The report accused Bishop Mokiwa, the former primate and archbishop of Tanzania, with pocketing the $2.7 million in proceeds. Bishop Mokiwa’s allies had dismissed the report’s conclusions, saying the charges were based on tribal and political jealousies.

A source within the meeting tells Anglican Ink the vote broke along party lines, with the High Church party voting to acquit, the Evangelical party to convict, and the third block centered round the Wagogo tribe around Dodoma in Central Tanzania undecided.

AI was told by an insider familiar with the proceedings that Bishop Mokiwa was given an opportunity to make good on his defalcation. His alleged refusal to “share the wealth” prompted the undecided block to agree to his ouster. Emails to Tanzania seeking confirmation of this account have not received a response as of our going to print.

On 24 May 2016 a Tanzanian civil court ruled it had no jurisdiction to hear a complaint against Bishop Mokiwa, holding an ecclesiastical tribunal was the proper venue.