Ndabazabantu queries Metro pastor’s sacking
SITEKI – A King’s liaison officer (ndabazabantu) has intervened in a church dispute and demands to know reasons for the sacking of a local church pastor at Gamula.
Ndabazabantu Mgumlane Gamedze has since issued a directive to the Matsenjwa Umphakatsi to furnish his office with reasons for sacking Metropolitan Evangelical Church Pastor Bheki Nyawo, who has ministered the Word of God for almost 10 years.
According to Gamedze, the directive was issued to Indvuna Masoka Matsenjwa early this month, though there had been no response from the umphakatsi. The Metropolitan Evangelical Church is situated at Gamula area near Big Bend. The liaison officer also ordered that the church should stop worshipping until the matter was resolved.
He said his office wanted to know the reasons behind the decision taken by the chiefdom before adjudicating on the matter. “I have reminded the indvuna on the letter, and hope they will furnish my office with reasons so we can find a lasting solution on this matter,” he said.
Indvuna Matsenjwa confirmed having received Gamedze’s instruction and emphasised that the umphakatsi was not responsible for sacking the pastor, but acted on one Mkhulu Maseko’s concern that the church had allegedly been changed into a company.
He said the said Maseko was the one who had approached the umphakatsi to seek for land on behalf of the church, afterwhich it was allocated by the chiefdom. “We haven’t expelled anyone, but acted on a concern raised by the elderly man, who was allocated the land for the church. We will engage the ndabazabantu office on the matter,” he said.
Directive
Meanwhile, Pastor Nyawo said he had not been updated on the latest developments on the matter, but was aware of the directive issued by the office of ndabazabantu.
The chiefdom’s bucopho, Mbongeni Ndzinisa, said he was not aware of the latest developments on the matter as he was currently out of the country.
Metropolitan Evangelical Church International Elder and Nyakeni Church Pastor Sihle Mzileni said Gamedze had convened a meeting with the concerned parties and further enquired about the records of the charges preferred against the pastor.
“The chiefdom has to furnish ndabazabantu with the letter as he also ordered that worshipping should stop until the matter is finalised,” said the elder.
Last month, the chiefdom allegedly took the pastor to task after discovering that the church had been registered as a company. Over 100 congregants have been affected by the chiefdom’s decision after the pastor was allegedly told not to set foot in the church.
According to a church member, the congregants were so devastated to learn of the decision taken by the chiefdom.
“The sin of the pastor is that he came out to mention that the church was registered under company laws as a non-profit making association not that it was a company. The matter was reported to the umphakatsi and the pastor was told to leave the area as churches were not permitted to host services if they were companies,” the congregant said.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Evangelical Church International has been embroiled in court disputes over leadership after the demise of its founder Kaizer Fakudze.