The late International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) leader Glayton Modise’s second wife faces time in jail for theft amounting to more than R15-million.
Sunday World can today reveal that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) took a decision last week to prosecute Pearl Tafu on charges of theft.
Modise’s first wife Mirriam, 64, had opened a case of theft against Tafu, 30, in July last year, claiming that her younger love rival stole R2.8-million in cash from her home at the church’s headquarters in Zuurbekom, south of Joburg.
The elderly widow also told the Bekkersdal police that Tafu stole the textiles that she used to manufacture the church’s uniforms to the value of R9-million as well as furniture worth R3.5-million.
As a result, the NPA has decided that Tafu must face the music before a magistrate to answer to charges of theft, housebreaking and malicious damage to property.
The case flowed from a bitter war between the two widows over Modise’s multimillion rand estate that includes several mansions, businesses, commercial farms, holiday homes and luxury cars such as Rolls Royces, Bentleys and a fleet of Mercedes-Benzes.
Parallel to their unholy war, there is also a fight over the throne left behind by the bishop, who was affectionately known as the Comforter to the church’s 3.5 million congregants.
Modise’s eldest son, Tshepiso, has been fighting a legal battle with a faction within the church’s executive structures that does not want him to ascend the throne.
In her affidavit, Mirriam also told the cops that Tafu was Modise’s side chick as she never blessed their union.
She also accused her of poisoning the late bishop.
“During February 9 2016 my late husband, Comforter Modise of International Pentecostal Holiness Church, passed away. I was staying at the church headquarters in Zuurbekom,” her affidavit says.
“We buried him, and after a week the church members and the youth then decided, after Pearl Nozipho Tafu had stood up at the church and made [a] bold accusation, that I have poisoned my husband.
“Then the congregation discharged to my house shouting and calling me all sorts of names like ‘moloi’ murderer. Luckily, I was not in my house but I was at the other house, outside the house (sic).
“As I see that I was not safe and I decided to move out of the house. Because these people also stoned the securities which were guarding the gate and they [securities] came to my [other] house.
“Pearl Nozipho Tafu is a young lady at church who just had a concubine relation with my late husband.
“I had an interdict for them not to marry but she is alleging to everyone that she is widow and a second wife of my late husband. Pearl then change the locks of my house and the factory.
“Inside the house there was furniture, jewellery, shoes, television, sound systems, dishes, cutlery and at the bedroom there was [a] money safe inside the wardrobe with the undisclosed amount of money. The value can be R5-million. In the safe the estimated amount can be R3.5-million.
“At the factory there was textile which I used to make the church uniform to the value of R9-million.
“At the moment I have a court interdict which state that I must be reinstated back to the Zuurbekom headquarters.”
Mirriam also attached two witness statements to her affidavit.
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