St Joseph’s infighting: Umphakatsi takes over church building
MBABANE – A disagreement by two leaders has cost the
Christian Church in Zion dearly, as the umphakatsi has officially taken over the church building.
$uthorities from the DlanJeni 8m Shakatsi on 6aturday removed the church’s official locks.
7he church is divided into two fac tions, followinJ a lonJ standinJ dis Sute.
$lso forminJ Sart of the warrinJ factions are leaders of the church as well as children of the late $rchEishoS 6hishane, who founded the church in .
6ince DecemEer , &hristians have not Eeen usinJ the church struc ture.
Umphakatsi 6SokesSerson -aEulane Gama confirmed that they had taken the decision to take control of the church EuildinJ as the owners were in disSute.
Gama said they would allow whoev er wanted to use the structure, under their terms, addinJ that the structure would only Ee used for church servic es and nothinJ else.
Factions
He said the reason they used their own lock was that one of the factions was refusinJ to surrender a key to them. 7his is the faction led Ey $rch EishoS -oseSh 0u]i Gama.
$ccordinJ to Gama, they demanded the keys Eecause they wanted to Ee in control and Jive Sermission to Eoth factions whenever they wanted to use the structure. He said Ey virtue of the keys remaininJ with the other faction, that Jave them an advantaJe.
³2ne of the factions led Ey /ady $rchEishoS GoJo 0dlovu made it known that they wanted to use the church structure twice a year.´
He said when this was communicat ed to the other faction, they reMected this arranJement.
Resolution
Gama said they then took the resolu tion to lock the structure Eut enJaJed everyone involved on the umphakatsi’s Sosition reJardinJ the church.
³:e reSorted to Eoth factions that we would Ee chanJinJ the locks and that anyone who wanted to use the structure should contact us.´
He said they had safely keSt the locks and chain which were initially used to lock the church.
7he sSokesSerson said they under stood that the church was Euilt Ey Eoth factions who were now at loJJerheads with each other, Eut the area EelonJed to the umphakatsi.
He said this was the reason they had to intervene and Eroker Seace Eetween the two factions, addinJ that one day they would have woken uS to a situation where they would find the structure damaJed.
Shocked
&hairSerson of the 6t -oseSh’s &hurch in =ion, 6iEusiso 0khatshwa said they were shocked Ey the latest develoSments as the matter was Eefore 1khanini traditional authorities.
0khatshwa said the umphakatsi was aware that their decision was chal lenJed and were awaitinJ to Ee hauled Eefore the 1khanini authorities.
³:e reSorted the umShakatsi to the traditional structures that they were JraEEinJ our SroSerty.´
0khatshwa stated that instead of waitinJ to Ee summoned, the um