Church in row over gratuity

AN ELDERLY woman is in dispute with the Ebenezer Congregational Church over an “unacceptable” R45 000 gratuity she accepted from the proceeds of a R20 million payout the church received from the Land Claims Commission.

In 1995, Reverend Vernon de Jager of the church instituted a claim with the commission in respect to about 38 properties in Gauteng and North West where Ebenezer Congregational Churches that were dispossessed by the apartheid government in the 1960s were located.

During a land restitution ceremony in March, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that the church was compensated financially by the commission after the properties were developed as either industrial or residential areas.

The church’s chairperson, Russel Davy, told The Star that following the approval of their claim, R20m was paid to the church with R1.9m paid in 2009 and R18.6m in September.

Yolande Malikas, 71, who volunteered for the commission, said she received R45 000 from the church last year for assisting their claim, however she added that the amount was “unacceptable” and was demanding more.

“The church lost so much property and received R20m, I looked to them but I received R45 000. I just want the money to go up,” Malikas said.

The retired woman said she worked with De Jager to assist the church with the claim from 1995 until last year.

“Reverend De Jager has an incredible knowledge of the history of the church and it was he who guided me and told me where the churches were, and we went there, got the title deeds and lodged the claim,” she said.

Davy said the church took the decision to pay Malikas the R45 000 from the proceeds of their claim as gratuity for her having introduced their team to the relevant people at the commission.

He added the church’s claim was approved in reports submitted to the commission by researchers and a historian from Unisa.

Malikas and Davy both confirmed that no agreement was made between her and the church on how much gratuity she would receive.

Malikas, who said she assisted many churches with their claims, said she was considering legal actions.