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Churches fight over land claim

IT'S OURS': Lapano Kunte. Pic. Israel Nkate. 06/10/2007. © Sowetan.
IT'S OURS': Lapano Kunte. Pic. Israel Nkate. 06/10/2007. © Sowetan.

Israel Nkate

Israel Nkate

Two neighbouring churches in Tlhabane, in Rustenburg, North West, are at loggerheads.

The Seventh Day Adventists and the Bethany Christian Centre in Unit 3 both claim ownership of a 2500m² piece of land. The Adventists claim they bought the land from the Rustenburg town council in 1994.

Lepano Kunte, the church's elder, said at the weekend that they bought stand, which was a dumping site, from the then Rustenburg town council under the Bophuthatswana government.

"When the stand was allocated to us nothing was said about it being owned by another church," Kunte said.

"Things soured after we built the church. Out of the blue came rumours that the stand belonged to Bethany.

"We have the relevant documents to prove that the land belongs to us," he said.

Rocky Modisakeng, Bethany's attorney, said: "The matter is still pending in court, and I can not comment."

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