Concerned parishioners from the Parish of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church are planning further action after they failed to secure a meeting with Durban Diocese Archbishop Mandla Jwara.
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A group of concerned parishioners from the Parish of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pinetown, west of Durban, say they are considering further action after failing to secure a meeting with Durban Diocese Archbishop Mandla Jwara over the imminent reshuffling of two priests in the archdiocese.
On Wednesday, a delegation of parishioners travelled to Durban hoping to meet the archbishop at St Emmanuel Cathedral, but were unable to do so after being informed that he was unavailable.
The group said they wanted to raise concerns about the impending departure of their parish priest, Fr Sifiso Ndlovu, who is expected to begin a sabbatical in April. The move coincides with the departure of Fr Thembelani Ngcobo from Sacred Heart Parish in Montclair, leaving parishioners uncertain about their future pastoral deployment.
Both priests have been linked by some parishioners to syncretism , the blending of Christian practices with African spirituality and traditions, including allegations that they practise ubungoma (divination).
The planned meeting was intended to escalate concerns from some members of the Immaculate Conception parish, who last week expressed a loss of confidence in the parish council’s handling of the matter with the archdiocese.
“The church no longer receives any funding from overseas. We maintain it, the money comes from us as members of the church, but they don't seem to show any gratitude,” said one parish member who was part of the delegation that could not meet the archbishop.
Some parishioners have suggested withholding their offerings, which they say collectively amount to thousands of rand, until they are granted an audience with the archbishop.
Tensions around the reshuffle have also played out in correspondence between one parishioner and the archbishop.
In a letter seen by the Sunday Tribune, the parishioner used strong language while challenging the archbishop to explain the reasons behind the priests’ sabbaticals.
“You are not our God, don't forget you are where you are because of the congregants. Without us, there would be no Catholic Church.
“You do not respect us. How can you make solitary decisions and fire people without us knowing the reasons?” read parts of the letter.
Startling allegations are also contained in the letter about priests who have allegedly misused church funds, broken vows of celibacy and have sired children without facing any consequences.
The letter also referenced the late Fr Reginald Vezi, who served as parish priest at St Alphonse Parish in Umlazi’s P-section in the 1980s and was said to have engaged in syncretic practices without facing disciplinary action. It ended with the slogan “Hlangana Zulu” (Zulu unite).
In his reply, Archbishop Jwara said he had prayed over the letter before responding but still struggled to understand its objective.
“The language and the tone of the letter do not convince me that the author is a committed Catholic in good standing. The content of your letter suggests to me that you do not understand your own Catholic Church.”
He added that the letter read more like it had been written by “a politician, a unionist or a member of a civic organisation”.
“My decisions are made prayerfully and with a view to safeguarding the good of the faithful, the parish community and the whole diocese.”
The archbishop also said that, out of respect for the dignity and privacy of the individual priests, he could not comment publicly on the specific details of their sabbaticals, and rejected suggestions that they had been dismissed.
He further questioned the mobilisation of parishioners during the sacred period of Lent and raised concern about the “Hlangana Zulu” slogan, saying it carried overtones of racism and tribalism that conflict with the Catholic Church’s non-racial principles.
Attempts to obtain further comment from the archbishop were unsuccessful.