JUDGE WANTS ‘NOISY’ CHURCH STOPPED

MBABANE - Judge Titus Mlangeni has filed an application to stop an alleged noisy church from disturbing his peace.

Dunamis Church is situated about 20 metres from his residence at Mkhuzweni along Hhelehhele - Siphofaneni Road, in the Lubombo Region.
Through his attorney, the judge has since filed an urgent application at the High Court.

In his application, he narrated how he was almost manhandled by one of the congregants when he had gone to the pastor of the church to complain that they were having sleepless nights due to the level of noise.
He now wants the court to restrain Pastor Sabelo Tsabedze and the church from conducting prayer services at night, specifically between 6pm to 7am.
Decisive steps

Judge Mlangeni is also praying for an order directing the pastor and the church to jointly take all reasonable and decisive steps to abate the level of noise during prayer services that were conducted in the daytime.

Such steps, according to the judge, should include the use of electronic address systems, keyboards and drums in a responsible manner.
He averred that the High Court had jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter.

The veracity of these allegations is yet to be determined and the respondents are yet to file their papers.
Giving a background of the matter, Judge Mlangeni narrated that he was a resident of Mkhuzweni, having set up a home in the area in the 2009.  He said he started living there in 2010 and since then he had enjoyed very good neighbourly relations with all residents of the area.

He mentioned that since he built his a home in the area, three different churches had set up in the immediate vicinity, one 150 metres away, one about 400 metres and the other one about 600 metres away.   Judge Mlangeni highlighted that the Dunamis Church was the latest church to set up in the area. Its structure of worship, according to the judge, was presently under construction.

He said the respondent’s (Dunamis Church) worship and prayer services were normally conducted twice per week, one on Thursday nights and the other one on Sundays during the day. 

Night prayer

 Judge Mlangeni alleged that once in a while there was an all night prayer, but these were few and far apart.
According to Mlangeni, the prayer and worship session of the respondent relied heavily on electronic sound instruments.
“The service itself is so loud such that I and my family follow the sermons from our home, from inside our bedrooms, the testimonies of the congregants, the verses that are read, the preaching and the ‘prophecies’ that are made by the congregants,” submitted the applicant.

He went on to state that the electronic instruments were unbearably loud and became deafening euphoria.
He said as the pastor preached, the keyboard roared in approval and as prophecies were declared upon anticipating worshippers, the keyboard would growl in approval.

The matter, which has been filed under a certificate of urgency, is still pending at the High Court.
The applicant is represented by senior lawyer Sidumo Mdladla of SV Mdladla and Associates.

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