National convener of the Mayibuye Consultation Group, Floyd Shivambu, defended Bishop Raymond Zondo, asserting his innocence despite Zondo facing ten charges of sexual assault and rape involving seven women, some of whom are members of his church.

“Pastor Zondo is not convicted of any crime,” Shivambu told reporters during a media briefing Friday in Midrand. “He is a religious leader who has been leading for a very long time.”

Zondo, who is the leader of Rivers of Living Waters Ministries, is currently on trial at the Pretoria High Court. 

Nevertheless, Shivambu argued that Zondo’s leadership experience and contributions to community organising warrant his inclusion in the Mayibuye Consultation Process.

“He has been playing multiple leadership roles in his community and in other organisations we came from,” Shivambu said. 

“He was coordinating a large nationwide inter-religious movement.”

Shivambu, who was recently ousted as secretary-general of the Jacob Zuma-led uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), said the Mayibuye group did not make a mistake in recruiting Zondo as part of its consultation process.

“If you have a leadership structure of a national organisation in South Africa today without religious leaders, then that is not a national and true representative structure of the people of South Africa,” he said.

Shivambu said more than 80% of South Africans identify as religious, mostly Christian, and argued that church leaders often act as community leaders.

“Because the majority of our people, in all honesty, do not know where to find their public representatives. They don’t know where the councillors are. They don’t know where their members of the provincial legislature are,” he said. 

“Whenever they’ve got serious problems, they go to abafundisi (pastors) and express their concerns.”

Shivambu said that church leaders have deeper insight into the day-to-day challenges faced by communities than elected public officials.

Among others, the leadership of the Mayibuye Consultation Process includes former MK Party members Patrick Sindane, Luther Lebelo and Menzi Magubane, as well as former Economic Freedom Fighters members Vusi Khoza and Fana Mokoena.

Also announced as part of the leadership were former ANC member Lazola Ndamase, veteran radio broadcaster Sydney Baloyi, including rape-accused Zondo.

Shivambu’s latest defence of a controversial religious figure follows his recent political fallout with the MK Party. 

He was removed from his position as secretary-general last month after an unsanctioned visit to self-proclaimed Prophet Shepherd “Papa” Bushiri in Malawi. 

Bushiri and his wife, Mary, fled South Africa in 2020 while out on bail for charges including fraud, money laundering and rape.

A Malawian court recently approved South Africa’s extradition request for the couple, though they have filed an appeal.

At the time, Shivambu said no formal concerns had been raised within the MK Party and that he would not respond to “faceless voices” on social media.

Now, once again, he finds himself defending a religious leader facing serious allegations.

“We did not make a mistake,” he said. “A lot of religious leaders asked him to pay closer attention to this process, so that they could still have a voice.”

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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