A court battle to evict alleged “land invaders” at the Lakeside Riverview Church of Christ has still not been resolved, with tensions mounting and claims of congregants locked out from worshipping on church grounds.
After initially keeping silent, the Riverview Church of Christ is finally ready to speak out.
Minister Dereck Beukes, spokesperson for the church, says the church has been embroiled in a bitter battle to have the alleged squatters evicted from its premises since 2016.
According to the church, the “land invaders” are fraudulently representing themselves as trustees of the church.
“Since 2016 the church has been trying to evict the squatters, they are land invaders and should not be on the premises,” Beukes said. “Unfortunately they currently have squatters rights.”
He added the first eviction application was started with the sister of one Honoré Makembe, Mary Ngaima, in 2016. The case has been postponed subject to the High Court application, which is scheduled for hearing on the Thursday 28 April.
“They are also in contempt of court for not adhering to a court order which states that the rightful members of the church have the right to worship at the premises during certain hours on a Wednesday 19:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 09:00 to 12:00. The Honore Makembe faction is to worship on a Thursday from 19:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 17:00 to 19:00. However, they have been locking the gate and locking congregants out.”
Makembe and his family live in rooms behind the church, on its premises. “They represent themselves as Riverview Church of Christ trustees, which they are not,” Beukes claims.
In court papers the church filed in October 2019 against Honoré Makembe, Bijou Makembe and former executive member of the church, Thomas Smith, it claims members of its congregation have been assaulted and stopped from worshipping, among other incidents.
Beukes relates: “Thomas Smith, a former chairperson of the congregation’s executive, has been excommunicated as he has aligned himself with Honoré Makembe, who is not a trained pastor in the churches of Christ and has over time usurped the authority of rightful preacher Noel van der Berg and the rightful executive. He is a former member and is a member of Riverview church.”
He added numerous false allegations had been made against members of the church.
“What is so amazing is that there is one sister who drives to Steenberg and collects street children and does two or three trips on a Sunday morning to bring people to church. Here is a lady who has been a Christian there for 42 years worshipping at that building. She has now been accused of being a part of a gang. She goes into gangland to bring people to worship.”
Beukes says currently there are around 35 cases that have been made against members of the church. “Honoré Makembe has been warned that each of these allegations against church members is currently being investigated to ascertain their veracity. There will be dire consequences in the event they be found to be false.”
Minister William January said his young wheelchair-bound son is too afraid to go to church after witnessing a heated confrontation in front of the church gates in Lakeside.
“My son was traumatised and, as a result, I went to make a case at the police station. My son does not want to come back to church.”
Responding to the claims Makembe told the People’ Postthat he and his wife are not land invaders. “That is not true, if it is so, they shall bring eviction.” He added the matter of trustees had been brought before the High Court several times. “The Western Cape High court judiciary system is efficient, reliable and trustworthy, should something like fraud of that level occurred I will advise them to bring criminal proceedings.”
Makembe added that congregants are not being barred from entry. “Some people who are not members assaulted my wife and attempted to kill my daughter, the matters were taken to court and final protection orders were granted.”
