Johannesburg - Yesterday marked exactly three years since five people were killed when gunmen stormed the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) premises in Zuurbekom, west of Joburg.
The Star has been reliably informed that investigations into the matter are ongoing after they were provisionally withdrawn last year.
Detective Malusi Khoza told The Star that the investigation into the matter is at an advanced stage.
“Members of the public have brought forward key information on what happened on the day in question. Although the case was provisionally withdrawn, the information received from the public has been useful for combating criminal activities and for the justice system’s work,” Khoza said.
This was confirmed by National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Louw-Mjonondwane, who said the NPA is finalising the matter.
“The NPA can confirm that an inquest investigation is finalised and has been handed over to the magistrate,” she said.
The shooting, which apparently stemmed from an ongoing leadership feud between the sons of the late church leader, Glayton Modise, who died in 2016, was struck off the roll last year.
In the running to be Modise’s successor are his sons Tshepiso and Leonard Modise, as well as the leader of another faction of the church, Michael Bhekumuzi Sandlana, who failed to provide DNA test results showing that he is the son of the late bishop. At least 41 people were arrested in connection with the armed attack at the church.
At the time, Sandlana denied involvement in the mass killing at the Zuurbekom branch of the church, saying it would not be fathomable for his members to attack fellow church members.
“We have previously communicated that it was ridiculous for our members to be arrested for the murder of people who were also known, valuable members to us.
“One struggles to follow the logic behind the arrests, but on several occasions, the IPHC at Jerusalem vehemently denied involvement in the gruesome killing of five IPHC Jerusalem members in the wee hours of July 11, 2020, at the Zuurbekom branch of the IPHC in Westonaria,” said spokesperson for the church, Vusi Ndala.
Ndala has indicated in the past that the accusations against Sandlana were “baseless, irrational and unwarranted”, and only served to pursue the church’s ultimate leadership battle at the expense of the Jerusalem branch leader, Sandlana.
The Star recently reported that the SAPS was following up on investigations after a leaked vetting report between the police and State Security Agency indicated new developments in the case.
Some of the details in the report indicate that Sandlana has two IDs in his name, one from 1961 and another stating that he was born in 1966.
The NPA confirmed that the case was struck off the roll, but no explanation was given.
The incident sparked new waves of fear among the community and church members, and resulted in the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) intervening.
The commission found that the problems at the church were caused by a lack of a clear succession plan.
On that day, a number of people, including women and children, were taken hostage by the gunmen in the bloody assault on the church compound.
The victims, most of them church members, were later freed by police Specialised Task Force members.
The police collected more than 300 spent cartridges on the scene.
They also recovered a number of weapons, as well as 68 firearms, some of which were unregistered, including 17 rifles, 24 shotguns and 27 pistols.
Attempts to get additional comments proved unsuccessful at the time of going to print.
The Star