AEC INFIGHTING DISRUPTS WEDDING

MBABANE - The internal conflicts within the Africa Evangelical Church (AEC) took a new turn yesterday. A couple faced inconvenience when their wedding, scheduled for 10am at the AEC in Mbabane, was delayed as conflicting factions occupied the venue for a meeting.

This occurred despite the couple, Nkosiyazi Angel Lukhele and Mbuso Senzo Simelane, having reserved the church for their wedding in December 2024. Consequently, the wedding commenced after 2pm in an open area, as the church was unavailable.

The senior church leadership claimed that a court order directed them to convene a meeting to resolve their differences. However, it was unclear whether the order specified the church as the meeting location. Some wedding guests expressed their dissatisfaction, suggesting that KaBoyce Primary and High School, owned by the AEC and equipped with a multipurpose hall, could have been an alternative venue for the meeting.

The church had already been decorated for the wedding, and the Mbabane branch’s executive committee questioned why the faction, which supported the registration of the AEC as a company, did not consider using one of the classrooms for their meeting.

Sabelo Dube, Chairperson of the Mbabane AEC, stated that the local church had approved the wedding to take place on February 1. However, in January 2025, another directive was issued for the venue to be prepared for a meeting of workers and delegates. Dube explained that the church could not be made available for this meeting as it had already been reserved by an external party for a fee. Nevertheless, the other faction insisted on having the venue for their meeting, which led to the dispute.

A meeting at the police station failed to resolve the impasse. Dube affirmed that the local committee maintained that the church hall was already allocated to an external party. They produced a court order permitting the meeting but not specifying the venue. Consequently, Dube requested the faction to find an alternative location for their meeting. Despite this, as preparations for the wedding proceeded, the unauthorised faction arrived at the venue and forced their way inside by cutting through a security grille with a hacksaw.

Rather than engaging in confrontation, the wedding party arranged to hold the ceremony outside the church while the meeting went on inside. Marriage officer Reverend David Ndlela expressed his concern over the inconvenience caused by the church authorities’ meeting. The bride is affiliated with the AEC’s Mbuluzi branch, while the groom attends the Methodist Church in Manzini.

Members of the faction holding the meeting promised to communicate yesterday but ultimately did not emerge from the church hall. On Friday, the Times of Eswatini reported that a former regional executive committee of the AEC had failed in its efforts to halt a meeting organised by the current committee.

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