Bribery, corruption revealed in IPHC rivalry
IPHC Jerusalem faction leader Michael Sandlana is the reality rival to a Netflix drama about how the death of an anointed and wealthy bishop prompted an imposter to claim that he was the deceased’s son, conceived out of wedlock, and the heir to a R300 million estate.
Allegations of police bribery, corruption and a gun-wielding church attack that left several dead and many injured in 2020 at the IPHC’s headquarters in Zuurbekom, west of Joburg, are lived realities waiting to happen.
Some months ago, The Star received information on Sandlana’s “grand heist”, but the charismatic leader of Gauteng’s biggest church snubbed all our questions.
Yesterday, the latest discoveries erupted.
Sandlana’s top brass are alleged to have worked with police in 2021 and 2022 to forge a fake arrest of the church’s legitimate leader, Bishop Leonard Modise.
Modise is the second son of the church’s second-generation leader, MG Modise, who inherited the church from his father, the founder, Frederick Modise.
After the death of MG Modise, The Star obtained an affidavit in which Sandlana claimed he was Modise’s son. However, later, Sandlana’s legal team said they were not aware of any paternal link and of Sandlana being Modise’s son.
Sandlana also declined getting a DNA test to prove he was Modise’s son.
According to Home Affairs, MG Modise had three daughters as well as two sons, named Leonard and Tshepo Modise.
According to a source, high up in Sandlana’s protocol, the pseudo-arrest of Bishop Leonard Modise was aimed at creating a vacancy in the church’s headquarters in Zuurbekom so Sandlana could take over the church.
According to the source, this plot was hatched following the attack on the church’s headquarters.
The attack, which made international headlines at the time, left several dead and many wounded, with a body unrecognisably charred in the boot of a car.
The attack was aimed at removing Leonard “JK” Modise so Sandlana could occupy the “holy seat”.
The police who were supposed to arrest Modise were allegedly paid R500 000 but did not carry out the arrest and made off with the cash.
“We gave them the money, and they said they would pounce on him on Sunday. When they took him, the chief would take over Silo (the headquarters). But after we paid them, they never returned,” the source said.
“We wanted Silo; it is the holy place. If he is arrested or dies, then Sandlana will take over. We believed he was the bishop’s son.”
The source revealed four names of police officers to The Star, but the SAPS has not responded to questions about the planned fake arrest.
The Star can reveal that two of the officers mentioned work at the Sunnyside police station in Pretoria.
It is informed that all the accused in the church attack were released and all charges were dropped, despite the fact that police found them with illegal guns on the church premises.
An SAPS evidence picture taken at the scene in Zuurbekom shows cars used by the attackers as being linked to Sandlana.
Attempts to speak to Sandlana proved unsuccessful at the time of publication.