ZCC requests for extension of court order

Mpho Mokwape | Thursday April 21, 2016 11:51

 

The interim order was issued interdicting them from carrying any disciplinary hearing against some members of the Tlokweng Branch.

The leaders yesterday, through their advocate from South Africa appeared before Justice Godfrey Nthomiwa to show cause why the interim order issued late last year should not be made final.

The church and their leader requested that they be availed more time as they were exploring other channels of resolving the matter. “The rule nisi was returnable today and we are to show to court why it should not be confirmed and made final and we seek for an extension,” said the advocate.

Attorney for the 17 members, Uyapo Ndadi did not object to the extension.

 The members, lead by Tshiamo Tladi, last year brought an urgent application before court after they were slapped with disciplinary hearing following numerous grievances laid against the church and its leader.  Nthomiwa then granted the orders sort by the applicants, which among others interdicted their disciplinary hearing, which was to take place on December 12, 2015 at Moria.

The ruling had among other things, interdicted any disciplinary proceedings until the determination of the applicant’s pending case before Gaborone High Court Judge, Michael Mothobi.

It also interdicts the church from holding disciplinary hearings pending the hearing of the applicants’ grievances lodged against the respondents and before being furnished with the specific details of their charges.

“I agree with the applicants that if the disciplinary hearings were to be heard and adverse decisions made against them which includes expulsion or suspension from the church, that would be the end of their case before Judge Mothobi,” he said.

Nthomiwa explained that the applicants had proved that the matter was urgent in seeking the interim interdict because they would not be afforded substantial redress in that by the time their case was heard, it would be thrown out for lack of standing.

Moreover the members who are members of a praise and worship team, ‘Mokhukhu’, in their pending case before Mothobi are challenging the leaders for violating the church’s governing constitution.

The applicants are arguing that Bishop Lekganyane had failed since 2009 to appoint a minister to run and head the church in Botswana, causing the church to be in a state of crisis and uncertainty as no one was accountable to lead.