PASTOR SUES OVER ADULTERY CLAIMS

MBABANE – An Africa Evangelical Church (AEC) pastor is suing a former congregant for accusing him of being in an adulterous affair with his wife.
Pastor Nicholas Maseko has since instituted legal proceedings against Nkosinathi Shiba, where he is demanding E500 000 from him.

In his particulars of claim, Maseko alleged that on diverse occasions, between January 2019 to date, around Velezizweni and in Mbabane, the defendant (Shiba) made false, defamatory statements and/or accusations about him (Maseko).

“On or about the period of 2008, when I was ministering at Velezizweni Africa Evangelical Church, the defendant accused me of having an affair with his wife,” submitted the clergyman.

Impregnated

He went on to allege that, the defendant told people that as a result of the affair, he impregnated his (Shiba) wife and a child was born.  Shiba alleged that the child was now nine years old.

“The statements have been perpetuated by the defendant as a result, a story about the plaintiff was  further caused to be published by the defendant in the Swazi Observer dated January 6,2019  with the caption ‘More trouble at AEC,’ averred the pastor.

According to Pastor Maseko, the story was further escalating the untruthful and defamatory allegations perpertuated by Shiba against me.
He highlighted that the said newspaper was widely distributed Eswatini and internationally on the internet by members of the public.

He informed the court that Shiba made allegations to the effect that he (Maseko) was involved in an adulterous and/or illicit relationship with his wife. 
“The allegations further seek to conclude that my transfer from the Velezizweni AEC branch is as a result of the alleged adulterous relationship with the defendant’s wife,” contended the pastor.

Opposing

These are allegations contained in particulars of claim whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the defendant is yet to file his papers in the event he is opposing the claim.

Maseko told the court  that the implication by the defendant and further corroborated by Hunter Shongwe, a private investigator who confronted him on the instruction of the defendant, were that; the plaintiff was involved in an adulterous relationship with the defendant’s wife,  that the plaintiff impregnated the defendant’s wife and further caused the defendant’s wife to abort.

According to Maseko, the implication was also that he was transferred from Velezizweni AEC branch to Mbabane branch as a result of his alleged adulterous affair with the defendant’s wife.

Insinuating

He went on to tell the court that through his statement, Shiba was insinuating that he (Maseko) was a person of loose morals who was disposed to have adulterous relationships with married women.

According to Maseko the inference that could be drawn from Shiba’s statement was that he (Maseko): “Was disposed to unchastity and dishonourable conduct, which was not befitting of his status as a man of God and holding a respectable position in the Africa Evangelical Church clergy.”

False

He said the allegations were plainly false and defamatory and they were understood by readers of the newspaper to mean that he (Maseko) was involved in an adulterous relationship and that his conduct was causing havoc and division in the Africa Evangelical Church.
The matter is still pending in court and appearing for the man of the cloth is Hasso Magagula of Robinson Bertram.

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