The battle for leadership in the Nazareth Baptist Church, known as the Shembe Church, has now spilt over into the launch of the church's television channel.

And e.tv finds itself caught in the middle. The Thembezinhle faction, led by Vela "Imisebe Yelanga" Shembe, wants to block the newly launched Shembe Unyazi TV from taking off.

The channel is scheduled to go on air on Sunday.

The Thembezinhle faction plans to approach e.tv, as holds rights to the station through its OpenView HD channel 254.

They want e.tv to stop all operations and ties with the church, saying the Shembe Church and its assets are subject to a court matter.

"Everything pertaining to the church has been put on hold as there is a court case on the legitimacy of the Shembe estate," said Nkululeko Mthethwa, spokesman for the Thembezinhle faction.

But Mbongwa Nzama, representing the eBuhleni faction, said they were forging ahead.

The faction, which launched the TV station on Wednesday, said the launch had disregarded the pending court case that seeks to name the legitimate heir to succeed Vimbeni "Uthingo" Shembe.

The station is named after eBuhleni leader Mduduzi "Unyazi" Shembe and its mandate is to promote the eBuhleni faction.

The station is endorsed by KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu and Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, who is related to the Shembe family.

Speaking during the launch, senior pastor Mbangwa Nzama said: "This station is for the congregants of eBuhleni only."

The trial, which will name the legitimate leader of the church, resumes in 10 days in the Durban High Court on July 27. Unyazi is battling Imisebe Yelanga for the position.

e.tv spokeswoman Matlapulana Ragoasha said the broadcaster was aware of the court case.

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