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by the church through the then Board President, Reverend Johannes Mazibuko who offered him the position of secretary general of the Alliance Church in Eswatini.
The now Bhunya-based pastor said he was given a letter of appointment sometime around November 2011. He was then offered by the church Board a written contract of employment to commence on January 1, 2012, for a period of three years.
“When three years passed, nothing was communicated to myself by the church Board, but nothing was also communicated to myself, to which over the years I continued working.
“From January 2012, I occupied all three positions and my salary increased between the years and I had no problem with the church Board and/or that a complaint was registered either on my performance and/or my duties in all these positions aforementioned.
“I must mention that I continued to work and perform my duties unhindered and in fact, I must mention that the church Board was happy with my work and hence I continued to work and we never discussed the issue of my contract with the church Board and/or that it had to be renewed,” he told the court.
STATUS
He added: “In fact, considering the manner I was working, I then assumed that my position with the 12th respondent was akin to permanent status.”
Sometime in the year 2017, he said he was approached by the Board and in particular the then Chairperson, Reverend Mazibuko that he should relinquish the position of clinic administrator.
After considering the proposal in the year 2018, he said he accepted the proposal and went to assume leadership of the Bhunya Alliance Church.
“I must hasten to mention that, even though I had relinquished my position as the clinic administrator, I continued to receive my salary in full, without any problems from the church Board. In the year 2021 or thereabout, some turmoil started in the Alliance Church,” he narrated.
He pointed out that there were a lot of talks and grumblings around the church and its structure, resulting in Reverend Mazibuko resigning from his position as the chairperson of the church Board.
Mazibuko’s resignation propelled the church to hold elections, but Muzi explained that the position of secretary general was subject to a general election.
Following the elections, he said there was talk that the present church Board wanted to clear our Mazibuko’s chuff.
“I was taken aback by these statements especially because I believe that we are Christians and church issues should be dealt as such in a Christian spirit and accord,” he said.
Upon assumption of duties, he said the new church Board flooded his office with complaints about his employment status and his other responsibilities within the church.
“Soon, I was marginalised in my duties as secretary general of the church, some of my duties were now assumed by the vice secretary or the first respondent,” he said.
Muzi said he approached Reverend Patrick to advice him that he had a duty as secretary general to be the official correspondent on behalf of the church and was responsible for organising and coordinating all the meetings for the national church Board.
WORSE
“It appeared as though I was pouring fuel on an already lit fire, as things got worse and I continued to be ostracised by the first to sixth respondent,” Muzi said.
On February 7, 2022, he said he wrote a formal letter to Reverend Patrick wherein he raised a plethora of issues with him and also that he was being marginalised in his office and/or work.
On December 8, 2022, he said, Patrick replied to his letter and in fact, just poured cold water to his complaints as he was short of accusing him of not doing his work as he shunned his responsibilities, hence; he had to step in.
On July 4, 2022, he said he again wrote a letter to the Board chairperson wherein he stated his views on the issue. On July 18, 2022, he said the chairperson advised him that his contract was to come to an end on March 31, 2024.
He said he was told that he should not expect an automatic renewal of his contract.
He said it dawned to him that Patrick and five others were determined to clean out the chuff.
On September 27, 2022, he received a letter of response from Musa M. Sibandze Attorneys, the church’s lawyers, accusing him of dishonesty and other like conduct. In fact in that letter, he said it was reiterated that his contract of employment was to come to an end on March 31, 2024.
“Whilst I was considering this letter and the accusations that had been leveled upon myself by the first to sixth respondents, I then received a letter that I had given a copy of my lawyer’s letter to the Sunday Times, and I was given five days to respond,” he said.
“I must mention that I was perplexed at this accusation, as it was clear to me that the first to sixth respondents were hell bent to get rid of me at all costs.”
He said he refuted these allegations in his letter dated October 4, 2022.
SATISFIED
“As I had not 1ost hope that this issue could be resolved amicably within the church structure, I continued to pursue the first to sixth respondents to address the issue of my contract as I was not satisfied by their interpretation and that it was not my desire to fight the church and/or to bring it to court,” explained Muzi in the court papers.
Sometime early in February 2023, he told the court that he was instructed to sign a notice calling for a meeting on February 25, 2023. As part of the agenda of the meeting, he mentioned that he was expected to produce minutes of a conference that was held in 2019, schools manager’s position review report and updates on church registration and commissions of enquiry.