Ex-QDMS

The Durban High Court has granted an order freezing the Nazareth Baptist Churchs assets, pending the resolution of a succession dispute following the death of its leader Vimbeni Shembe.

An inventory of the Nazareth Baptist Church’s assets including more than eight properties and several farms would be made known this week after a Durban High Court order to freeze the church’s bank accounts was granted on Friday.

This is the latest move in the church’s leadership battle which was triggered by the death of its leader Vimbeni Shembe last month.

The controversy over who will lead the Shembe church came after two leaders, Mduduzi Shembe and Vela Shembe, were announced as successors.

In an urgent application before Judge Sharmaine Balton in the Durban High Court on Friday, the church and its executive committee chairman, Mbongwa Nzama, asked for an order to freeze the church’s bank accounts.

In an affidavit, Nzama said the church and the Church of Nazareth Ecclesiastical Endowment Trust were large organisations with an annual income of several million rand. Nzama said it was imperative that an order “freezing” the relevant accounts be obtained, pending the resolution of the disputed succession.

“Money in its accounts is not private but are contributed by relatively poor members of the public who subscribe to the tenets of the church.”

The church’s attorney Simrithi Sharma said an order to freeze all account had been granted. “I do not have a figure of how much the church is worth. I will be working on the inventory of all the assets and also try to obtain all the bank statements.”

Last week, Vela made an urgent application to the Durban High Court requesting that he be appointed as a sole trustee of the Church of the Nazareth Ecclesiastical Endowment Trust and Titular head of the Nazareth Baptist Church. The matter has been adjourned to April 21. - The Mercury