MBABANE – The High Court has temporarily paved the way for Sibongile Dlamini, widow of the late Faith Christian Fellowship Church Founder Apostle Jeremiah Dlamini, to remain the overall leader and overseer of the church.
This follows an urgent application by Faith Christian Fellowship Church, Sibongile and Senior Pastor Muzi Myeni, who are challenging decisions made by Manzini Magistrate Thamsanqa Ndlovu on September 29 and October 27, concerning the leadership of the church.
Yesterday, Judge Mzwandile Fakudze granted an interim order reviewing and setting aside the magistrate’s decisions. The applicants also wanted the High Court to direct that the magistrate’s decisions be stayed pending the finalisation of the review application.
In addition, they are seeking an order directing that Sibongile should remain the overall leader and overseer of Faith Christian Fellowship Church in accordance with a resolution allegedly taken by the church’s pastors during a meeting held on September 12.
When the matter came before Judge Fakudze yesterday, the applicants were represented by Mxolisi Dlamini of Dynasty Inc. Attorneys, while there was no appearance for the respondents (Nsizwa Mhlanga, Absalom Dlamini and Magistrate Ndlovu).
The court further ordered that Magistrate Ndlovu prepare and transmit to the registrar of the High Court the record of proceedings under Manzini Magistrates Court Case 347/2026.
The application was instituted by the church, its proposed leader Sibongile and Myeni, who is a senior pastor and was previously the right-hand man of the late founder.
According to the founding affidavit deposed to by church administrator Moses Nxumalo, the dispute arose following the death of Apostle Jeremiah Dlamini on July 10, 2026. He was buried on July 18, 2026.
Nxumalo stated that the church was established by the late apostle around 1983 at Ekudzeni, in the Manzini Region. Over the years, it grew to approximately 14 branches in Eswatini and South Africa, with its main branch situated at Ngwane Park in Manzini.
He explained that the late apostle had been married to Sibongile through a civil marriage and that she had assisted him in developing the church during his ministry.
Following his death, the church’s pastors convened a meeting on July 28 to discuss, among other issues, the succession plan.
Nxumalo said it was resolved during that meeting that Myeni would temporarily hold the position as pastor of the church, while another pastor, Moses Dlamini, would introduce him to the congregation.
However, another meeting was convened on September 12, during which the church leadership allegedly proposed that Sibongile, popularly known as Mum-Apostle, assume overall leadership and oversight of all the church’s branches.
Nxumalo referred the court to the minutes of that meeting, which he said recorded the resolution concerning Sibongile’s appointment. He stated that the church leadership believed the succession issue had been resolved following the meeting, but the decision was subsequently challenged by two congregants, Nsizwa Mhlanga and Absalom Dlamini.
According to the affidavit, the two respondents approached the Manzini Magistrates Court in connection with a peace-binding application involving the church’s leadership.
Nxumalo said Myeni collected the summons at the Manzini Police Station on September 15, while Sibongile was still mourning her late husband.
The parties appeared before Magistrate Ndlovu on September 28.
Nxumalo alleged that during the proceedings, the parties informed the magistrate that they believed his court was not the appropriate forum to determine the church leadership dispute.
He claimed that the magistrate agreed that he did not have jurisdiction to determine the matter, referring the High Court to the ruling issued on September 29. However, according to Nxumalo, the magistrate proceeded to formulate what he termed the terms of reference for a Special Advisory and Mediation Task Team.
The task team was allegedly directed to submit a report, together with the church’s constitution, by January 11, 2027.
Nxumalo alleged the proposed team was to comprise six individuals from what the magistrate described as his faction and another six members from the faction represented by the first and second respondents.
He claimed that this development caused confusion within the church, particularly after Mhlanga and Absalom allegedly informed other congregants that Sibongile was not entitled to lead the church because leadership had been assigned to the task team.
“This resulted in divisions, with some church leaders relying on the September 12 resolution while the first and second respondents (Mhlanga and Absalom) allegedly disputed the leadership arrangement,” Nxumalo submitted.
The dispute returned to the Manzini Magistrates Court on October 27, when the parties appeared before Magistrate Ndlovu again.
Nxumalo alleged that during this appearance, the magistrate informed them that Sibongile should not assume leadership in terms of the September 12 resolution.
Instead, he claimed, the magistrate directed that the task team assume leadership of the church together with representatives of the Conference of Churches, League of Churches and Council of Churches.
It is this decision, together with the earlier ruling, that the applicants want the High Court to review.
In advancing their grounds for review, the applicants argued that the magistrate committed an error of law by continuing to make decisions after finding that his court lacked jurisdiction over the dispute.
Nxumalo stated that, in his understanding, the magistrate ought to have stopped dealing with the substantive leadership issue once he had made the finding on jurisdiction.
He further argued that a peace-binding enquiry under Section 341 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act of 1938 did not empower the magistrate to interfere with the internal leadership arrangements of the church or impose a leadership structure.
The administrator maintained that the September 12 resolution was reached by the church’s pastors and delegates and that any changes to the leadership should be dealt with through the church’s own internal structures.
He also argued that the magistrate had improperly allowed a peace-binding enquiry to become a platform for determining the church’s leadership.
The applicants are further seeking an order staying the magistrate’s decisions while the review application is pending.
Nxumalo argued that allowing the decisions to remain operational during the court challenge would undermine the purpose of the review and worsen the divisions within the church.
He said the uncertainty surrounding leadership was disrupting the church’s normal operations and affecting congregants who needed clarity on who was responsible for overseeing the organisation.
Sibongile, in a confirmatory affidavit, supported the administrator’s account. She confirmed that she was the widow of the founder and that the pastors had resolved on September 12, 2026, that she should assume overall leadership of the church.
She also maintained that the magistrate had removed her from the position despite the resolution taken by the church leadership.
The applicants have asked the High Court to make the rule nisi final, set aside the challenged decisions and award costs against any respondent who unsuccessfully opposes the application. Judge Fakudze postponed the matter to November 20, 2026, when the respondents are expected to show cause why the relief sought should not be granted.
