Johannesburg – Mduduzi Shembe, the charismatic leader of the eBuhleni faction of the Nazareth Baptist Church popularly known as the Shembe church has been dealt a heavy blow with the Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruling that he is not the rightful leader of the church.
Apart from losing the leadership position, he also loses his position as the sole trustee of the Shembe estate estimated to be worth millions of rand.
This is the fourth court defeat that the leader affectionately known among his throngs of followers as ‘Unyazi’ (lightning) has endured.
The Shembe leadership battle dates to March 2011 when respected church leader Vimbeni ‘Uthingo’ Shembe died.
Following his death two self-proclaimed leaders emerged both claiming to have been anointed to follow in his footsteps. The Thembezinhle faction led by Vela ‘Imisebe Yelanga’ Shembe took the matter to the Durban High Court requesting the court to intervene.
The court ruled in his favour and ordered that Unyazi relinquish his powers to his paternal uncle including that the church headquarters in eBuhleni temple must be handed over to Imisebe Yelanga. In the middle of the legal tussle, Imisebe Yelanga died of natural causes. Unyazi is the son to the late Uthingo.
Unyazi was however not convinced at the court outcome and he subsequently applied to appeal the ruling hoping that another court might reach a different conclusion, but this was not the case.
In 2018, the Pietermaritzburg High Court again upheld the previous ruling.
But Unyazi wasted no time and took the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal and he was defeated.
Nkululeko Mthethwa, speaking on behalf of the Thembezinhle faction said, “We don’t regard this as a victory, instead the court ruling is a call for unity and for us to reconnect with our forebears and ask for a direction. This unnecessary litigation has also brought the church under disrepute and we must now work towards rebuilding our public image.”
Following consecutive court victories, the Thembezinhle faction made attempts to invade the eBuhleni church headquarters situated in Inanda area, south of Durban which resulted in violent confrontation between the followers of the two factions.
The skirmishes also led to opposing church members carrying guns and hunting down their perceived opponents.
The ConCourt ruling delivered virtually on Tuesday ordered that Unyazi carry the costs for the litigation including footing the bill for the counsels representing Thembezinhle faction.
The ruling also means Phinda ‘Ukukhanya Kwelanga’ Shembe is the only recognized leader of the Shembe Church and that Unyazi must also succumb under his leadership.
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