Following the withdrawal of a heated court battle over the leadership of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC), the late Comforter Glayton Modise's two sons Tshepiso and Leonard Modise have set a new battleground, thanks to their third wheel Michael Sandlana, the leader of the IPHC church's Jerusalema branch faction.
MODISE BROTHERHOOD AND UNITY TESTED IN EVICTION APPLICATION
ZiMoja can reveal today that though Tshepiso and Leonard are believed to have smoked a peace pipe and united against their nemesis, Michael Sandlana, their brotherhood has been tested in another court matter brought by Sandlana's trusted Lieutenant and spokesperson of Jerusalema's faction Priest Vusi Ndala. Ndala filed an ejectment application on behalf of Sandlana's faction against Leonard Goitsemang Frederick Modise, the third leader of the IPHC, contesting for the leadership of the church, at the South Gauteng High Court late last year in which he sorts a court order to evict Leonard and his followers from Silo, the church headquarters based in Zuurbekom, South of Johannesburg.
In his court application, Ndala reveals that Leonard violently gained access and control of the IPHC headquarters in Silo, in August 2018 after he had a fallout with his brother Tshepiso, with the help of his followers who had initially started their congregation at a workshop in Lenasia. Ndala, in his founding affidavit, in which Leonard is listed as the first Respondent, his followers Bana Ba Jakobo and others who reside at Silo as second and third respondents, indicated that Leonard was occupying the church headquarters illegally and must therefore restore the IPHC church's possession of the church. In the court papers, Ndala said Leonard and his followers had no right to be in possession and control of the church headquarters because he was not the rightful leader of the church, and he further argued that Leonard Modise nor his brother Tshepiso were ordained by their late father Glayton Modise or the church council to lead the church.
FORMATION OF A BREAKAWAY CHURCH
He said Leonard was no longer part of the IPHC and said he had led the formation of a break away church making him an illegal occupant of the IPHC church headquarters. Arguing for the eviction of the faction, Ndala said Leonard and his followers had desecrated the land on which the IPHC headquarters was sitting on ever since they took control of the Zuurbekom based land. This he said, while accusing Leonard Modise of having staged a massive party at the holy land where he alleged that his followers were seen partying, drinking alcohol and spinning cars at the sacred land which he said was declared the holy ground of the 3 million strong IPHC church membership. He said Leonard Modise himself was recorded spinning a luxurious Ferrari sports car at the said event much to the shock of those who attended the party at the church headquarters.
LEONARD SAYS EJECTMENT APPLICATION IS AN ABUSE OF COURT
In his response, Leonard Modise responding through one of his trusted priests, Reverend Abbie Wessie said the court application was ill formed indicating that Priest Vusi Ndala had not authority to institute such a court action against their faction and its leader Leonard who currently occupies Silo, the IPHC church headquarters. Wessie said the IPHC church was now divided into three factions, one led by their Comforter Leonard Modise, operating from Silo, Zuurbekom, the second faction was led by Tshepiso Modise, operating from the church branch in Springs and the third faction led by Michael Sandlana, with its base being at the church Jerusalem a branch, in Brits North West.
MEMBERS FROM THREE FACTIONS HAVE ACCESS TO THE HEADQUATERS
Wessie said Ndala's court application was misguided arguing that the eviction application was filed by Ndala despite a decision by the Pretoria High Court that all cases relating to the IPHC church succession battle should be filed under case management alongside the leadership battle involving the three leaders operating from three main branches, Springs, Silo Zuurbekom, and Jerusalema. He said Ndala?s arguments should not be taken serious indicating that the Priest's application was part of Sandlana's faction strategy meant to rush the court to pronounce itself on the leadership battle over the control of the church. He said the application should be dismissed with costs citing that Ndala was misrepresenting the true status of the church, when he argued that Leonard and his group had left the IPHC. He said the church was still one big church indicating that IPHC members across the three factions were allowed and given access to the church headquarters whenever they needed to. Wessie said Leonard and his followers were not intruders at the church, and he said the last born of Glayton Modise and his wife Marriam has succeeded his father to the throne, like Glayton had succeeded his father, the founder of the church Frederick Modise. Wessie further said that it would not be just and fair for Ndala's eviction order to be granted arguing that it was going to leave Leonard and his followers to be destitute and without a place to worship. He said no one or faction was being inconvenienced by their occupation of Silo, as the two other factions were operating from other properties which are owned by the church through its IPHC Property Holdings company.
TSHEPISO MODISE INTERVENES IN EVICTION APPLICATION
Joining the fray in the court application was Tshepiso Modise who filed an intervening court application through an entity called IPHC NPC, an entity which he said owns all properties belonging to the church. Filed by his trusted Priest, Sello Mokwena, also director of the IPHC NPC, Tshepiso Modise said both his brother Leonard Modise and Michael Sandlana had no right to claim ownership and occupation of the church headquarters Silo because they were not the rightful leaders of the church, stating that he was. He cautioned the court that both Leonard and Sandlana should not given access and control of Silo alleging that the two's interest and objective was to gain access and control of the church to loot its assets, money and income. "The ultimate objective....is to conscript this court to facilitate that objective by means of factual findings and orders sort and secured in the main eviction application," said Mokwena in his founding affidavits.
