Pastor Kim’s allegations scandalous – Zephaniah
MBABANE – “These unfounded allegations are extremely scandalous, harmful and humiliating not only to us but to our immediate families.”
These averments were made by Municipal Council of Mbabane Mayor Zephaniah Nkambule, when responding to the allegations made by Pastor Chong Yang Kim of ACM that Nkambule and Thandi Mkhonta incited residents of Mahwalala to petrol-bomb all structures under the Africa Continent Mission (ACM).
ACM is a voluntary association which owns church buildings, schools and clinics in various parts of the country, including Saim Christian High School situated at Mahwalala, Mbabane.
Resident
Nkambule has been taken to court in his capacity as a resident of Mahwalala.
ACM has filed an urgent application at the High Court where it is seeking an order interdicting Nkambule and Mkhonta, their agents or anyone acting on their instruction, from threatening or bombing in whatever format, infrastructure that had been constructed with the involvement of the mission, in particular Saim Christian High School and Eswatini Medical Christian University.
The applicant (ACM) also wants the court to restrain Nkambule and Mkhonta from calling or attending any parents’ meetings at Saim Christian High School. It is further the mission’s plea to the court that it should issue an order interdicting the duo from entering the premises of Saim. In his answering papers, Nkambule said: “In the current situation that the country is faced with, it is mind-boggling how someone can make such unfounded allegations against another being. I can safely state the deponent to the founding affidavit (Pastor Kim) will face a serious lawsuit after these proceedings.”
He also brought it to the attention of the court that he and Mkhonta had nothing to do with the incident where Pastor Kim alleged that an attempt was made to petrol-bomb a structure at the Eswatini Medical Christian University, which is also under ACM.
“As indicated herein, the mention of our names and linking them with these incidents is only aimed as scandalising our names by the applicant (ACM and Pastor Kim). We have nothing to do with these incidents,” contended Nkambule.
He vehemently denied that with Mkhonta they incited parents to vandalise the structures of the school or university as alleged by the applicant. Annexed to Nkambule’s answering papers are the minutes of the parents meeting where Pastor Kim alleged that they incited the parents.
Parents
In the annexed minutes, there is nowhere where it was recorded that the duo of Nkambule and Mkhonta called upon the parents to petrolbomb all structures belonging to ACM.
Meanwhile, in his founding affidavit, Pastor Kim submitted that on September 15, 2021, the Head teacher of the school, Stanley Mdluli, called a parents’ meeting and among those in attendance were Nkambule and Mkhonta
He alleged that this was confirmed by a representative of the grantee, Bongani Mabuza.
Pastor Kim submitted that he was informed by Mabuza that in the meeting, Mdluli told the parents that he was being forced out of the school by the mission yet he liked the school.
Mdluli, according to Kim, also allegedly motivated the parents to consider putting pressure on the Ministry of Education and Training to change the school from being a mission school to either a private school or community school.
Meeting
The pastor alleged that he was further informed by Mabuza that, Nkambule stood up and addressed the parents during the meeting.
He alleged that Nkambule encouraged the parents to consider petrolbombing structures of the school and all other buildings that belonged to ACM. He alleged that Mkhonta also addressed the parents and supported Nkambule’s view.
“The night leading to Thursday, September 16, 2021; an attempt to petrol-bomb a structure at the Eswatini Medical Christian University was made. The petrol bomb did not cause damage because the structure that was targeted is made of steel walls,” he argued.
The matter was briefly before Principal Judge Qinisile Mabuza and it had to be postponed as the parties will be filing more papers for it to be ripe for arguments.
ACM is represented by Human Rights Lawyer Sipho Gumedze of V.Z Dlamini Attorneys while appearing for Nkambule and Mkhonta is Bongani Sydney Dlamini of B.S Dlamini and Associates.