A church in uMzimkhulu on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast has dismissed its priest after discovering that nearly R200 000 had vanished from its bank account, leaving just R180 in church funds.
Image: Independent Newspapers Archives
A priest from uMzimkhulu on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast has been dismissed from his position after nearly R200 000 allegedly disappeared from his church’s bank account.
Reverend Zakhele Shezi, 48, was removed from his post at Faith Centre after church leaders discovered that funds set aside by the congregation had been depleted, leaving a balance of just R180.
Church secretary Zwelibanzi Nxumalo confirmed Shezi’s dismissal, describing the incident as a deep betrayal of the congregation’s trust.
“We were shocked and deeply disappointed. It showed a complete lack of respect for the church and its members. One person cannot spend such a large amount of church money without consulting the church leadership,” said Nxumalo.
The missing funds were uncovered when church members planned to buy building materials for ongoing work at the church. Suspicion was raised after Shezi twice suggested postponing the purchase.
“That is when we demanded the bank card used for the church funds. He handed it over, but he looked visibly uneasy,” Nxumalo said.
A church member then suggested making a small withdrawal first to confirm the money was available.
“That saved us from embarrassment at the hardware store. When we tried to withdraw cash, the transaction failed. When we checked the balance, there was only R180 left,” he said.
According to Nxumalo, when confronted, Shezi broke down in tears, apologised and said he had a family emergency, and promised to repay the money in June.
However, the church council resolved to dismiss him.
When contacted, Shezi confirmed he was no longer leading the church and acknowledged financial mismanagement, but declined to discuss the matter further.
“First of all, you did not tell me where you got my number,” said Shezi.
He described the church’s current challenges as temporary and warned of possible legal action if the matter was published.
Church council member Msawakhe Msomi said congregants were heartbroken by the incident, describing Shezi’s actions as a major disappointment given the respect he once commanded within the church.