A prominent priest who led a call to forgive President Jacob Zuma after the damning Constitutional Court judgment against him, has been suspended by the National Interfaith Council of SA (Nicsa) for allegedly refusing to account for funds.
Nicsa president Bishop Daniel Matebesi, a known ANC backer, was also accused of taking the organisation's members to an ANC Women's League (ANCWL) march.
The man of the cloth was suspended by the organisation's national executive committee (NEC) on Monday.
However, Matebesi, a priest at the 130-year-old Independent Congregational Church of Southern Africa, denied receiving a notice of suspension sent to him by Nicsa secretary-general Reverend Thamsanqa Mvambo on Monday, summoning him to appear before Nicsa's NEC.
"I don't know why I was suspended. I haven't seen the letter. I haven't received any letter," Matebesi told Sowetan yesterday.
Mvambo accused Matebesi of organising Nicsa members to march in support of the ANCWL last Saturday, where the league prayed for free and fair local polls.
ANCWL's president, Bathabile Dlamini, is also Minister of Social Development. Mvambo said Matebesi had applied to the Department of Social Development to fund Nicsa's national conference scheduled for later this month.
The conference was to be attended by about 1200 delegates who would only pay R100 registration fee, while the rest would be covered by the department, according to Mvambo.
"It must be a lot of money," said Mvambo when asked how much money Matebesi had raised.
He asked: "How can Social Development Department commit to fund an organisation without anything written down?"
Social Development spokesman Lumka Oliphant did not respond to calls, text messages and e-mails.
Last month, Nicsa broke ranks from other faith-based organisations when it publicly accepted Zuma's apology after the Constitutional Court's ruling that he had violated his oath of office.
The National Religious Leaders Council and the SA Council of Churches demanded that Zuma step down, saying he had lost all moral authority to govern.
"The fact we accepted Zuma's apology doesn't mean we're part of the ANC," Mvambo said.
"We're not part of the ANC. We're not a bunch of Christians but interfaith. We have Jews, Hindus and Muslims," Mvambo said.
Matebesi said he had never taken money from Social Development.
He said the allegations against him were meant to belittle and discredit him. According to Matebesi, he attended the ANCWL march as an individual and in his personal capacity as a religious leader.
"I wasn't representing Nicsa, I was invited by the ANCWL," he said.
Nicsa treasurer-general Bishop Selvan Govender dismissed the allegation against Matebesi.
In the run-up to the 2009 general elections, Matebesi promised Zuma that his then organisation, the SA Ministers Fraternal, would ensure the ANC win by 98%.
sidimbal@ sowetan.co.za
Pro-ANC man of God Matebesi in cash row
A prominent priest who led a call to forgive President Jacob Zuma after the damning Constitutional Court judgment against him, has been suspended by the National Interfaith Council of SA (Nicsa) for allegedly refusing to account for funds.
Nicsa president Bishop Daniel Matebesi, a known ANC backer, was also accused of taking the organisation's members to an ANC Women's League (ANCWL) march.
The man of the cloth was suspended by the organisation's national executive committee (NEC) on Monday.
However, Matebesi, a priest at the 130-year-old Independent Congregational Church of Southern Africa, denied receiving a notice of suspension sent to him by Nicsa secretary-general Reverend Thamsanqa Mvambo on Monday, summoning him to appear before Nicsa's NEC.
"I don't know why I was suspended. I haven't seen the letter. I haven't received any letter," Matebesi told Sowetan yesterday.
Mvambo accused Matebesi of organising Nicsa members to march in support of the ANCWL last Saturday, where the league prayed for free and fair local polls.
ANCWL's president, Bathabile Dlamini, is also Minister of Social Development. Mvambo said Matebesi had applied to the Department of Social Development to fund Nicsa's national conference scheduled for later this month.
The conference was to be attended by about 1200 delegates who would only pay R100 registration fee, while the rest would be covered by the department, according to Mvambo.
"It must be a lot of money," said Mvambo when asked how much money Matebesi had raised.
He asked: "How can Social Development Department commit to fund an organisation without anything written down?"
Social Development spokesman Lumka Oliphant did not respond to calls, text messages and e-mails.
Last month, Nicsa broke ranks from other faith-based organisations when it publicly accepted Zuma's apology after the Constitutional Court's ruling that he had violated his oath of office.
The National Religious Leaders Council and the SA Council of Churches demanded that Zuma step down, saying he had lost all moral authority to govern.
"The fact we accepted Zuma's apology doesn't mean we're part of the ANC," Mvambo said.
"We're not part of the ANC. We're not a bunch of Christians but interfaith. We have Jews, Hindus and Muslims," Mvambo said.
Matebesi said he had never taken money from Social Development.
He said the allegations against him were meant to belittle and discredit him. According to Matebesi, he attended the ANCWL march as an individual and in his personal capacity as a religious leader.
"I wasn't representing Nicsa, I was invited by the ANCWL," he said.
Nicsa treasurer-general Bishop Selvan Govender dismissed the allegation against Matebesi.
In the run-up to the 2009 general elections, Matebesi promised Zuma that his then organisation, the SA Ministers Fraternal, would ensure the ANC win by 98%.
sidimbal@ sowetan.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos