Pastor strips wife of financial powers
AFEUD between controversial East London church leader Zakhele Ntiwane and his wife of more than 10 years has led to him kicking her out of the church after she bought herself a new BMW 1 series without his blessing.
He also stripped her of her signing powers over the church’s bank accounts.
The proverbial skeletons came tumbling out of the Ntiwanes’ closet following the decision by the “Man of the God” – as Ntiwane is called by his followers – to suspend his wife from the Power of the Cross Church (POCC), based in Amalinda, after the latter bought herself the car.
The details are contained in a threehour-long recording of a mediation meeting organised by church elders.
Ntiwane is heard accusing his wife of buying the expensive car and selling a church site without his knowledge.
The car, he said, would cost them R7 800 in monthly instalments.
But his wife Mbali – whom he married when she was 16 – denies the car was the source of the dispute. Instead she accuses him of infidelity and abuse.
Mbali told the church leaders at the meeting that the vehicle, a Mini Cooper, had a broken sunroof, mechanical problems and was not roadworthy.
“The vehicle was broken into by thugs while I was away, I had to put plastic over to cover the leaks from the broken sunroof,” she said.
“Where have I sinned when I bought a car that I told my husband about? He never said no when I told him about this plan. I told him I was offered a BMW 1 series by the dealership.”
She also said she was told to remove her name from the bank as a signatory.
“We also planned about the building in Amalinda. We wanted to be a step ahead and formed a building committee as he asked for the pledges to finish the building. I gave him the report when he came back,” said Mbali.
Some of the details – which the Dispatch cannot reveal due to their sensitive nature – shocked those who attended the meeting, including his father-in-law who burst out furiously: “My child is getting hurt but you people [at the meeting] are saying ‘protect the man of God’ [Ntiwane] who never even paid lobola for my child.”
Ntiwane blamed the devil for his woes: “I’ve sinned. My sin was to lead this big church without advisers.”
The meeting resolved that Ntiwane required “divine intervention”.
“You play victim while you suspend your wife. You don’t defend your wife, you want us to leave here with guilt and think we’ve wronged you – no,” said a senior member of the church who was present in the meeting.
Ntiwane runs the church where he makes congregants change their names and also runs the Izwi Lethemba Christian radio station.
Ntiwane is also not his real surname as Home Affairs records have his name as Zakhele Mhlongo. Yesterday, he could not be reached for comment, but his wife confirmed they faced challenges like any other married couple.
“We are seeking professional help to try and fix the problems we have as a couple. The . . . recording of Baba Ntiwane and I talking about our problems is one of the mediation processes we have taken . . . I don’t see how speaking to the newspaper about my marriage problems is going to solve anything.” — bonganif@dispatch.co.za/ malibongwed@dispatch.co.za