After weeks of tension, conflicting accounts and unanswered questions from family members and the wider community, the remains of Christian Catholic Apostolic Holy Spirit Church in Zion president, Thamsanqa Elijah Nkonyane, have been exhumed.
The development follows a directive issued by the Pietermaritzburg High Court to establish the precise location of Nkonyane’s burial.
In line with the court order, Nkonyane’s body was exhumed on Monday, 22 June 2026, from a shallow grave in the backyard of the church’s mission house at its headquarters in Osizweni, Newcastle.
The exhumation was carried out by the South African Police Service’s Forensic Pathology Services, together with the Forensic Science Laboratory.
The matter follows weeks of controversy, which began when Nkonyane’s funeral was abruptly halted earlier this month. At the time, allegations surfaced that the coffin presented for burial had allegedly been found to contain bricks, shifting the matter from a family dispute into a broader investigation into the whereabouts of his remains.
As previously reported by Newcastillian News, Nkonyane’s funeral was held on 6 June 2026 at the church’s headquarters in Osizweni.
However, as the service was drawing to a close, members of the South African Police Service arrived on site with an urgent interdict issued by the Pietermaritzburg High Court, bringing proceedings to an immediate halt.
The situation escalated further when the coffin was transported to the mortuary in accordance with the court directive. Upon inspection, it was allegedly discovered to contain bricks. Following this, the church opened a criminal case against the funeral service provider, Icebolethu Group, as well as the woman with whom Nkonyane had reportedly been living at the time.
To read Newcastillian News’ previous report, click here.
Furthermore, Icebolethu Group has since denied any involvement in the matter.
The matter took another turn on 18 June 2026, when the Pietermaritzburg High Court granted the Nkonyane family permission to proceed with the exhumation of the church leader’s remains. The court also instructed Sizeni Mazibuko, also known as MaKhuzwayo, identified as the woman with whom Nkonyane had been living prior to his death, to indicate the burial site.
However, despite these instructions, complications arose when MaKhuzwayo was reportedly unable to direct officials and family members to the precise burial location.
The search was then redirected to a section of the property believed to contain Nkonyane’s remains. Excavation later led to the discovery of his body.
According to sources, the remains had not been placed in a coffin.
Instead, they were reportedly covered with a cow hide and dressed in church garments, adding further complexity to the circumstances surrounding the burial.
Meanwhile, although Icebolethu Group was later cleared of wrongdoing in relation to the dispute, with the court finding that the matter lay between the respective families, attention shifted towards locating the exact gravesite and determining the circumstances surrounding Nkonyane’s death and burial.
Nkonyane’s body has since been transferred to a mortuary for a formal post-mortem examination.
Police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of death, as well as whether any foul play may have been involved.
Newcastillian News approached the South African Police Service for comment regarding the investigation and any preliminary findings.
However, no response had been received at the time of publication.
With the exhumation completed and formal procedures underway, attention has shifted from the discovery of the remains to the evidentiary record that will determine what transpired.
For now, the case remains open, with several key facts still subject to verification by authorities.
What are your thoughts on all of this? Let us know below.
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3 Responses
I don’t understand how the funeral undertaker can be cleared….did they store and carry the coffin to the funeral?
My sincere condolences to the congregation and the priest family
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