IPHC succession court battle withdrawn as Modise brothers reunite

The Pretoria high court was expected to settle the leadership dispute within the International Pentecostal Holiness Church

24 July 2023 - 13:07
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The Pretoria high courtroom was filled to capacity with members of the IPHC church who brought the dispute about the church's successor before court.
The Pretoria high courtroom was filled to capacity with members of the IPHC church who brought the dispute about the church's successor before court.
Image: Rorisang Kgosana

The battle for the top seat in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) took a dramatic turn at the Pretoria high court on Monday when the clashing Modise brothers reunited, withdrawing the court fight to settle the succession dispute.

The street outside the court was cordoned off on Monday morning as hundreds of church members gathered in protest and support. They were told by the church marshalls not to speak to the media.

The church has been embroiled in a dramatic fight after the death of its leader, Bishop Glayton Modise, in 2016. He had inherited the top seat from his late father and founder of the church Frederick Samuel Modise.

The battle for the new leader led to conflict between the Modise brothers, Tshepiso and Leonard, which created factions and war within the church. Another contender was Michael Sandlana, whose faction believes he should run the church.

The aim of the court application was to interdict the succession process in which Sandlana was expected to be elected as leader.

However, justice Portia Phahlane was told the applicant, Leonard Modise, who had summoned his brother Tshepiso and Sandlana to court, was withdrawing the matter permanently.

The reasons were not stated in court but according to reports, the brothers reunited at the weekend, seemingly against Sandlana, who heads the IPHC Jerusalem faction.

Leonard Modise will need to pay the costs for the court matter as he did not follow the correct procedures when withdrawing it, the judge said. 

“Mr Leonard Modise made an application (to withdraw) which was not in compliance with the rules and was requested to correct that mistake. He either failed or refused to do anything. The question is whether this kind of behaviour should be punishable with punitive costs and the answer is absolutely yes. I cannot find a reason why he should not be ordered to pay costs on the punitive scale,” she said. 

The matter was last heard in February when Phahlane received death threats. On Monday, with a gallery filled with church members all wearing face masks, Phahlane had bodyguards in court guarding each side of her chair. 

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