Johannesburg - The elders of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) at the church headquarters in Zuurbekom have slammed Jerusalem faction leader Michael Sandlana for claiming victory over the withdrawal of the succession battle at the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria on Monday.
Speaking exclusively to The Star, the chairperson of the church’s executive council, Abiel Wessie, said Sandlana had no right to claim victory in a matter that did not involve him, as the matter was between the two Modise brothers, Tshepiso and Leonard Modise.
“The victory is that of the two brothers, as they have united and, for the first time, spoke with one voice, and the court has acceded to their request for withdrawal. So, the matter has indeed been withdrawn, and there is no longer a succession battle.
“I was listening to Vusi Ndala, their spokesperson, after the court withdrew the matter. Ndala was talking about a lot of propaganda that he has won. I do not know what it is that they have won. The judge never said Michael Sandlana is the comforter now that the matter has been withdrawn,” Wessie said.
On Monday, Ndala claimed that Sandlana had won after the withdrawal of the matter.
In a show of unity for the legacy of the church, the two brothers said they would not fight for their church and their father’s estate with an imposter who is not their father’s son. They have maintained that if Sandlana is to be entertained, he would need to do a DNA test and stand trial for all his crimes.
The church has been marred by a succession debate ever since their father and leader, Glayton Modise, passed on in 2016. This recently led to the two legitimate sons uniting against Sandlana by withdrawing their succession battle.
On Monday, Judge Portia Phahlane of the Pretoria High Court was given last-minute instructions that the applicant, Leonard Modise, was withdrawing the matter permanently.
“For them to have that claim of the leadership of the church, they have to ventilate that in court,” Ndala said.
On the issue of the DNA, Ndala said they are going to argue that the church was never a family church.
Wessie added that in the first place, Sandlana was never party to the litigation between the two brothers and therefore could never claim victory based on the withdrawal of the matter, as that was a matter between the two brothers and not him.
“Michael Sandlana has never made a counter-claim. This matter is between the two brothers. It is a victory for the two brothers and the entire IPHC because, for the first time since the departure of the comforter, their father, they have seen eye to eye. They have decided that it will be in the best interests of the church to withdraw this matter from the court,” he said.
Wessie said the withdrawal has in fact achieved the opposite of what Sandlana has claimed as a victory for himself and his faction.
“The notion that he has won is mere propaganda to mislead. Michael Sandlana, I know, is a fraudster. He has a case that is before the courts at the moment. There is a death certificate that was issued for his wife while she was still alive. I am in possession of that certificate. The same Michael Sandlana approached the master of the high court, wanting the court to appoint him as executor of the late wife while she is still alive," he said.
The Star has reported that Sandlana is embroiled in a case of fraud and corruption opened by his estranged wife, Benedicta Sandlana, after he was found to have altered and changed ownership of his wife’s vehicle and faked her death certificate.
At the weekend, the church elders also accused him of fraudulently changing and transferring two of the church buses to his name.
Attempts to get more comments from Sandlana were not successful at the time of going to print.
The Star