A showdown is once again underway of the Various factions of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in the High Court in Pretoria.
A new group wants the court to interdict leaders of the three factions from continuing to call themselves legitimate leaders of the church.
The new group, led by a Namibia based priest wants the court to bar the three leaders from referring themselves as comforter arguing the late Bishop Glayton Modise never anointed a successor.
The group believes the church’s now divided 7 member executive committee should be directed to appoint a single successor in order to unite the church.
Two of the factions dragged to court are led by the late Comforter’s sons while the third is led by murder accused Michael Sandlana who claims to have a will and video in which the late Modise annoints him.
The matter has been set down for several days of oral arguments,
All three factions are opposing the interdict application which each one claiming to be the legitimate IPHC Church.
Meanwhile Sandlana’s supporters who turned up in their hundreds are also demanding his release on bail.
Rights activist Golden Miles Bhudu was among leading demonstrations in court. Bhudu said as supporters of Sandlana they sought to use the court case to show his popularity and to make the point that he’s the legitimate Comforter.
“ What made this one very attractive. You must be recalled that the Honorable Bishop Michael Sandlana. He’s been arrested, he’s been charged, he’s been denied bail and it tells us that there is Isandla Semfe ( Zulu for foul play) involved here,” he said.
Bhudu questioned the denial of Sandlana’s bail application when his co-accused have been released.
“You must also be reminded that there were four that were arrested, charged and the three accused have been released on bail and he’s been refused bail on the basis that he’s a flight risk, which is absolutely not true.
How can a person with such a lot of followers, members, supporters, friends and admirers be a flight risk? It’s not possible,” Bhudu said.