Bishop Zondo destroyed my marriage, broken husband speaks out
Bishop Bafana Stephen Zondo of the Rivers of Living Waters Church’s problems are compounding by the day as more people are testifying before the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Commission).
Bishop Zondo is being accused of breaking several marriages by soliciting for sex from married women.
The Bishop is said to be a Casanova who bedded a handful of women from his church some of which worked long hours in his ministry.
One ex-husband of a current member testified before the commission on how his marriage broke down as a result of an extramarital affair between Zondo and his then-wife. Maqala Konote revealed that his ex-wife was a member of five different committees in the church and would spend a lot of the time at the church as she was unemployed.
Konote told the commission that her ex-wife, who has business aspirations, would borrow money from the bank intended to fund her business but was shocked to realise some of the money was used for ‘deliverance classes.’
He said he gave his ex-wife money on one occasion, and she went for a 6 pm to 6 am prayer session in Rustenburg but only returned home late the following day.
“Inside the bag were things to seduce someone, like lingerie and massage oils. I questioned her and she said ‘You’ve cheated before’,” the witness told the commission.
Konote was arrested the same day after a fistfight resulted from the confrontations before being released later without a charge.
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Subsequent to the confrontations, he went through his wife’s Whatsapp and saw naked pictures she sent to Zondo.
“That broke my heart,” Konote said.
The couple subsequently divorces after Konote’s failed attempts to talk to Zondo.
Soenkie Selepe, a former church member told the commission that he joined the church’s Randfontein Branch in 2013 seeking deliverance from his marital problems with is then-wife.
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Selepe went on to fund church activities such as the purchase of instruments despite being jobless and low on income. His commitment to church activities resulted in the branch Pastor facilitating his meeting with Zondo.
“I went to see the pastor and he said for me to see the Bishop, I would need to buy a cow. I went and bought two,” he said.
He further paid another R10,000 for a one-on-one meeting which only lasted five minutes. He was always asked to pay something to get assistance in the church.
His income was drying up and his cars were almost repossessed.
“I called a pastor and asked him to pray for me and we prayed together, but in praying, he said ‘God says you must give’, but I said ‘what do I give with? I’m telling you now my stuff is being repossessed and my business is failing. Where do I get the money to give?” he said.
Bishop Zondo was described as a danger to society by another witness Reverend Andile Mali.
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