Kamini Padayachee
The late leader of the eBuhleni house of the Shembe church, Vimbeni Shembe, told a few of his close confidantes that his cousin Vela Shembe would succeed him as leader.
This was heard during evidence in the Durban High Court civil trial before Judge Achmat Jappie over the leadership of the house yesterday.
Vimbeni died of cancer in March. At his funeral in April, his son, Mduduzi Shembe, was named as his successor. However, also at the funeral, Vimbeni’s lawyer, Zwelabantu Buthelezi, announced that Vela was the rightful head of the church and that he had a signed deed of nomination to that effect.
Vela has applied to the court to have himself declared the rightful leader and to interdict Mduduzi from saying he is head of the church.
Preacher Mandlakayise Cebekhulu testified yesterday that he had been told by Vimbeni between 1997 and 1998 to “take care” of Vela.
“He asked me to be the applicant’s (Vela’s) babysitter because he would take over the leadership of the church. He told me to keep this a secret.”
Cebekhulu said he had kept the secret for two years, but had then told two friends, Gibson Ncube and the late Mphathesithe Ngubane.
“I told them because I did not want the information to be a weight on my conscience, and the late leader had also told me he had made the same disclosure to other people.”
Cebekhulu said Vimbeni had also asked him to deliver a copy of Vela’s ID – attached to the deed of nomination document naming Vela as the next leader – to Buthelezi’s offices in 2000.
Cebekhulu said he had also told the late Inkosi Mzonjani Ngcobo in 2002 that Vela would be the next head of the church.
“The inkosi did not take the news very well,” he said, adding that Ngcobo had reported him to Vimbeni, and he had been called before a disciplinary hearing.
“At the hearing I denied I had told Ngcobo that Vela was going to be the leader, even though that was the truth. I was then banned from being among Vimbeni’s confidantes.”
Ncube also testified that both Cebekhulu and Vimbeni had told him that Vela would be the next leader.
The case was adjourned until December for further evidence.
