Bishop Azwihangwi “Hangwi” Maumela is a church leader whose public life has repeatedly intersected with South Africa’s political establishment, placing him in the orbit of senior politicians, government officials and some of the ANC’s most contentious internal battles.
A member of the ANC Chaplaincy, Maumela was a delegate to the ANC Limpopo conference in 2022 and hails from Vhembe district, but his political involvement has extended beyond his home province.
Maumela first attracted attention for supporting Cyril Ramaphosa’s fiercely contested 2017 leadership race, which Ramaphosa won against Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. He was also associated with the campaign calling for former president Jacob Zuma to step down.
In 2018, Maumela launched a public attack on the late former ANC deputy president David Mabuza, accusing him of being a murderer. Mabuza responded by opening a criminal defamation complaint against Maumela, saying he wanted to clear his name.
Maumela did not retreat. During a media briefing that year, he repeated his criticism of Mabuza, questioned his suitability to serve as deputy president and said he was prepared to face him in court. He framed his campaign as an effort to confront what he described as political gangsterism within the ANC.
His activism also led to a dispute involving an ANC Youth League member in Mahikeng. In 2018, the married woman accused Maumela of making unwanted sexual advances towards her. She alleged that he approached her about a relationship and later removed her from a CR17 WhatsApp group after she rejected him.
A year later, Maumela’s alleged access to political and government networks came under scrutiny in a controversy involving businessman Lawrence Maroos.
It was reported that Maroos alleged in a recorded conversation that he paid R100 000 to Faith Harvest Trading, a church-linked entity associated with Maumela, believing the bishop could help him secure government tenders. Maumela disputed the characterisation of the transaction as fraudulent, acknowledged receiving a fee and said he assisted Maroos with tender-related documents.
His latest controversy, involving suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, has again placed Maumela close to a politically sensitive dispute.
Maumela was with Sibiya when he was arrested on Monday. He said they had been having dinner at a Sandton restaurant when police arrived. He said Sibiya appeared so relaxed that he initially thought the officers were joking.
Sibiya faces serious criminal charges and appeared in the Randburg magistrate’s court, where he was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing on September 29.
The state alleges that Sibiya sexually groomed a 16-year-old girl between July and August and raped an 18-year-old woman at a Sandton hotel in May. He is also charged with an alleged human trafficking offence.
The state has opposed bail, citing concerns including possible witness intimidation and the risk that he could evade the legal process.
Outside court, Maumela defended Sibiya and alleged the arrest was linked to a succession battle within the police.
He also called on Ramaphosa to intervene and warned of possible retaliation if the president failed to act.
The intervention was significant because Maumela was publicly questioning the motives of law-enforcement authorities while defending a senior police officer facing serious sexual-offence allegations.
Two days later, on September 23, Maumela withdrew his comments and apologised.
He said he had reflected on his remarks and accepted that he should have shown greater restraint, particularly because the case involves a minor.
He also withdrew his remarks concerning Ramaphosa, law-enforcement agencies and the Madlanga commission.
- Bishop Azwihangwi Maumela is an ANC Chaplaincy member and was a delegate to the ANC Limpopo conference in 2022, with political involvement beyond Limpopo.
- Maumela supported Cyril Ramaphosa in the 2017 ANC leadership race and campaigned for former president Jacob Zuma to step down.
- In 2018, Maumela accused former ANC deputy president David Mabuza of being a murderer, leading Mabuza to file a criminal defamation complaint against him.
- Maumela was implicated in a 2019 controversy involving businessman Lawrence Maroos, who paid R100,000 to a church-linked entity associated with the bishop for assistance with government tenders.
- Maumela defended suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya after his arrest on sexual and human trafficking charges, then withdrew and apologized for his comments two days later.
Bishop Azwihangwi “Hangwi” Maumela is a church leader whose public life has repeatedly intersected with South Africa’s political establishment, placing him in the orbit of senior politicians, government officials and some of the ANC’s most contentious internal battles.
A member of the ANC Chaplaincy, Maumela was a delegate to the ANC Limpopo conference in 2022 and hails from Vhembe district, but his political involvement has extended beyond his home province.
Maumela first attracted attention for supporting Cyril Ramaphosa’s fiercely contested 2017 leadership race, which Ramaphosa won against Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. He was also associated with the campaign calling for former president Jacob Zuma to step down.
In 2018, Maumela launched a public attack on the late former ANC deputy president David Mabuza, accusing him of being a murderer. Mabuza responded by opening a criminal defamation complaint against Maumela, saying he wanted to clear his name.
Maumela did not retreat. During a media briefing that year, he repeated his criticism of Mabuza, questioned his suitability to serve as deputy president and said he was prepared to face him in court. He framed his campaign as an effort to confront what he described as political gangsterism within the ANC.
His activism also led to a dispute involving an ANC Youth League member in Mahikeng. In 2018, the married woman accused Maumela of making unwanted sexual advances towards her. She alleged that he approached her about a relationship and later removed her from a CR17 WhatsApp group after she rejected him.
A year later, Maumela’s alleged access to political and government networks came under scrutiny in a controversy involving businessman Lawrence Maroos.
It was reported that Maroos alleged in a recorded conversation that he paid R100 000 to Faith Harvest Trading, a church-linked entity associated with Maumela, believing the bishop could help him secure government tenders. Maumela disputed the characterisation of the transaction as fraudulent, acknowledged receiving a fee and said he assisted Maroos with tender-related documents.
His latest controversy, involving suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, has again placed Maumela close to a politically sensitive dispute.
Maumela was with Sibiya when he was arrested on Monday. He said they had been having dinner at a Sandton restaurant when police arrived. He said Sibiya appeared so relaxed that he initially thought the officers were joking.
Sibiya faces serious criminal charges and appeared in the Randburg magistrate’s court, where he was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing on September 29.
The state alleges that Sibiya sexually groomed a 16-year-old girl between July and August and raped an 18-year-old woman at a Sandton hotel in May. He is also charged with an alleged human trafficking offence.
The state has opposed bail, citing concerns including possible witness intimidation and the risk that he could evade the legal process.
Outside court, Maumela defended Sibiya and alleged the arrest was linked to a succession battle within the police.
He also called on Ramaphosa to intervene and warned of possible retaliation if the president failed to act.
The intervention was significant because Maumela was publicly questioning the motives of law-enforcement authorities while defending a senior police officer facing serious sexual-offence allegations.
Two days later, on September 23, Maumela withdrew his comments and apologised.
He said he had reflected on his remarks and accepted that he should have shown greater restraint, particularly because the case involves a minor.
He also withdrew his remarks concerning Ramaphosa, law-enforcement agencies and the Madlanga commission.
