South African News Agency - 24 July 2023. Scores of IPHC member picket outside the North Gauteng High Court.Picture: Oupa Mokoena / African News Agency (ANA)
Johannesburg - The Pretoria High Court was once again filled to capacity after members of the International Pentecost Holiness Church (IPHC) came out in their numbers for the withdrawal of the succession case yesterday morning.
The brothers said they would not fight for their church and their father’s estate with an imposter who is not their father’s son and have maintained that if Michael Sandlana is to be entertained, he would need to do a DNA test and stand trial for all his crimes.
The case saw two of the legitimate sons of the late Glayton Modise unite against Sandlana by withdrawing their succession battle to focus on the man who also claims to be their father’s son, MG Modise, who died in 2016.
As has been the norm, whenever Sandlana appeared in court, a strong presence of IPHC Jerusalem faction church members sang and chanted outside court while others were inside court.
On Saturday, Modise’s son, Bishop Leonard Modise, the church’s head, and Tshepiso Modise held a press briefing at the Zuurbekom headquarters of the church. The briefing was addressed by the church elders ahead of the court appearance.
The elders of the church announced that the two sons had united to forge a united front and possibly put an end to the ongoing feuds that have affected the smooth running of the affairs of the church, with Sandlana having allegedly fraudulently obtained two church buses and other properties of the church.
On Monday, the court learned that the matter involving a court application to interdict Sandlana, who was expected to be elected interim leader of the church, was withdrawn at the last minute to ensure a united front between the two brothers.
Judge Portia Phahlane was given last-minute instructions that the applicant, Leonard Modise, was withdrawing the matter permanently.
However, the judge indicated that the applicant had to pay the cost after he failed to follow the right processes in withdrawing the matter.
“Mr Leonard Modise made an application to withdraw that did not comply with the rules. He was requested to correct that mistake. I cannot find reasons why he should not be ordered to pay costs on a punitive scale,” the judge said.
Speaking to a broadcaster, spokesperson for the Jerusalem faction of the church Vusi Ndala said the withdrawal of the court bid has vindicated Sandlana, who will continue to stake a claim to the church’s affairs in spite of having refused to take a DNA test to prove his claim that he is also Glayton Modise’s son and rightful heir.
“They (the sons) were supposed to be here to argue and ventilate their issues in court so that the judge at the end of the day issues a court order and judgment based on the application that they have filed, both of them respectively, that they are the comforters of the church. We are here, and what has become known as the IPHC succession battle is set out for four weeks.
“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.
“For them to have withdrawn, it means they are chickening out. They probably feel that they will be embarrassed and do not have the evidence. This is not a family church.”
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 faking her death certificate.
At the weekend, the church elders accused him of fraudulently changing and transferring two of the church buses to his name.
The Star