MBABANE- Mourners and members of The Christian Catholic Apostolic Holy Spirit Church in Zion gathered for the funeral service of the late President Dr Thamsanqa Nkonyane, unaware that his body was missing from the casket.
Immediate family members claimed that upon inquiry, four bricks covered in white clothes were found inside the casket. The family said two of the bricks were discovered where there was supposed to be the feet of the deceased while the other two were discovered where there was supposed to be the head.
Nkonyane was the fourth president of the church, popularly known as Inyoni Emhlophe Mission, founded by Daniel Nkonyane and registered in 1905.
The church holds significant importance among Zion churches, as it is recognised as the first and oldest Zion church in Southern Africa.
Its headquarters is located in Osizweni, Newcastle, South Africa. Historical records indicate that all Zion churches in Southern Africa, including those in Eswatini, originated from this church.
The funeral attracted prominent figures from the South African government and Eswatini. However, the discovery that the body was missing came as a shock to many present. The incident occurred after some family members demanded that the casket be opened when they arrived with the South African Police Service to prevent the funeral from proceeding, subject to a court order.
It is reported that the court order had been granted in favour of the church leader’s married wife, who had been demanding that he be buried at their matrimonial home. This request was said to be against the deceased’s will, as he died while living with another woman in Durban. The late church leader was legally married to Dolly Nkonyane (MaNgcobo) in community of property since 1988.
The discovery left many mourners in the dark. It is claimed that they were asked to excuse the church trustees and family while the police dealt with the matter. Some questioned whether the family had verified the presence of the body at the mortuary before leaving. Others suspected that the body might have been deliberately removed from the casket or secretly buried elsewhere amid the ongoing dispute.
The missing body prompted a police investigation and a search for the church leader’s remains. A video circulating on social media shows a group of South African police officers approaching the casket just before the mourners proceeded to the grave site for the burial, which was ultimately cancelled.
Sibongile Nkonyane, sister to the deceased, told SABC News that following the halted funeral service, the police instructed the family to proceed to the Icebolethu Group accompanied by the police. However, due to a long queue, Sibongile claimed that the family decided to approach Icebolethu directly regarding the issue.
She alleged that a member of Icebolethu, whom she identified as T Mkhize, confided that the body of the church leader was not inside the casket but had already been buried.
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