Vela Shembe: ancestors picked me

The late leader of the Nazareth Baptist Church told his cousin he had been chosen by the ancestors to lead the church, the Durban High Court heard on Monday.

"When I pass away you [Vela Shembe] will be the leader of the church, the ancestors have spoken to me," Vimbeni Shembe said, according to Vela's testimony.

The Shembe Church approached the court to determine its legitimate leader after the death of Vimbeni Shembe, the leader of the largest faction of the church.

According to a will presented by the church's lawyer during Vimbeni's funeral in April, he chose Vela as his successor.

However, the church's senior leaders expressed their preference for his son Mduduzi.

After failing to convince the church's elders that Vimbeni had nominated him, Vela took the matter to court.

Vela told the court on Monday that he met Vimbeni in the mountains of Nhlangakazi on January 13 2000 and they discussed his successor.

Vimbeni told him: "You will look after these people when I pass away."

Vela said he went in a state of shock.

"The prophet told me not to be afraid because the ancestors will be with me," he said.

Vela said Vimbeni instructed him to bring a copy of his ID in 2000 and to treat the request as a matter of urgency.

According to Vela, he had limited access to Vimbeni in 2001 because of rumours that he wanted to unseat him.

He said he was pleasantly surprised when Vimbeni invited him to a house-warming event in 2003, as he was not welcomed by some church members.

"The late leader told me that some people did not like me because they thought when he passed away some people thought they would set up a committee to determine the leader of the church."

He said Vimbeni told him that would never happen because he had already selected the leader.

"He said some people wanted to commit mischief in the name of God and he didn't want that to happen because God had revealed to him the person who should lead the church."

Vela testified that he had a good relationship with Vimbeni.

"When Vimbeni was appointed the leader of the church, he welcomed me and paid my tuition fees along with my three brothers as we had accumulated a huge debt."

He stated that Vimbeni was always willing to help him financially at a time when he was unemployed.

"He paid lobola for my first wife and the wedding was in high standards."

Vela said he remarried after his first wife passed away.

"At that time, I was working as a teacher and had money from my back pay -- I was in a position to initiate lobola negotiations," he testified.

"However I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the prophet had sent a herd of six cattle to my in-laws."

Vela said that on the day of the wedding, Vimbeni sent two head of cattle and a letter wishing him a successful marriage.