Murder plot forces Durban Catholic priest to flee parish amid church conflict
THE St James Catholic Church in Lamontville, Durban, which has become the playground of conflict forcing the parish priest to abandon it.
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A Durban Catholic parish priest has left his post amid claims of deepening internal conflict and an alleged plot to kill him.
Father Nkosinathi Ngcobo of St James Catholic Church in Lamontville has been absent from the parish for about a month, according to congregants who spoke to Isolezwe Ngempelasonto, the sister publication of the Sunday Tribune.
One congregant claimed that Fr Ngcobo left after receiving a hand-delivered letter from an altar server, allegedly warning him of a plot by some parishioners to kill him. "The letter cautioned Father Ngcobo to be vigilant, stating that some members of the congregation were planning to kill him," said the congregant.
The source added that the letter allegedly named individuals said to be involved in the plot. "Unfortunately, Father Ngcobo did not interrogate the matter further as he could not easily believe such claims from a child," the congregant said.
When contacted for comment, Auxiliary Bishop of the Durban Archdiocese, Reverend Father Kwenzakufani Zondi, confirmed that Fr Ngcobo was no longer stationed at St James Parish but downplayed claims of a murder plot.
"Yes, Father Ngcobo is not at the parish at the moment. He left due to internal problems within the parish," said Zondi.
He said it had been decided that Fr Ngcobo should step away temporarily while the matter was being addressed. "I am aware of the issues surrounding Father Ngcobo. It became clear that there were some parish members who did not like him. This is not unusual in our line of work; not everyone will like you," Zondi said.
Zondi declined to disclose Fr Ngcobo's current whereabouts and said he was unaware of any letter warning of a plot to kill the priest. He added that church leadership was awaiting a report from parish members to better understand the situation at St James Parish. The altar server alleged to have written the letter confirmed that he serves at St James Parish but declined to comment on the matter.
"I am a young child and I suggest you speak to the elders at the parish. There is nothing I can say, and I don’t even know how you got my phone number," the altar server said before ending the call.
Before the call was terminated, a woman could be heard interjecting, saying: "Leave the child alone if you don’t want us to have a problem."
Tensions at the parish have reportedly escalated in recent weeks. A young parishioner was allegedly assaulted by fellow congregants over their suspected involvement in the matter surrounding Fr Ngcobo.
The child's mother has since opened a case with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Thenjiswa Ngcobo confirmed that an assault case was opened at Lamontville SAPS following an incident at a church. Attempts to contact Fr Ngcobo for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone rang unanswered.