Sibonelo Zwane
The 42 people accused of being involved in a mass shooting at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) in Johannesburg in July 2020 have taken their own lawyer to court.
Five members of the church were shot dead in July 2020 when a group of armed men stormed the headquarters in Zuurbekom.
It is believed that the killings were the result of divisions within the church over leadership. The 42 men charged over the shooting were also members of the church, which is one of the biggest in the country.
The 42 suspects each paid their lawyer, Advocate Norman Maluleke, R5,000 to post their bail. However, the suspects remained behind bars as they allege Maluleke never posted the combined R210,000.
In January, their case was struck off the roll due to a lack of evidence and they were released.
Six months later, Advocate Maluleke has allegedly still not returned the money that was meant to bail out the 42 men.
The men have since opened a case against their lawyer to make him return what they believe he owes them.
Prior to his appearance at the Westonaria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, church members came in three buses to support their fellow congregants.
They gathered outside the court and several of their members behaved threateningly to members of the public and press who approached them or tried to take their photos.
Maluleke was represented by his colleague advocate Zola Majavu, who described him as “a very decent human being, a former magistrate, and a lawyer”.
Advocate Majavu told the court that Maluleke is a respected family man and is not happy with these allegations.
“My client fears for his life and is feeling threatened by the hundreds of men that gather outside the court gate. He fears that this will ruin his reputation as a respected member of the law society.”
Maluleke will make his next appearance at the Westonaria Magistrate’s Court on 15 September to confirm the trial date.
IPHC has been garnering headlines in recent years because of the succession battle which has gone on since the death of their leader Glayton Modise in 2016.
Three factions – the Jerusalema faction led by Michael Sandlana, the Leonard Modise faction which is at the headquarters Silo in Zuurbekom and the Tshepiso faction – are all claiming to be the rightful successors.
