International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) Jerusalem faction leader, Michael Bhekumuzi Sandlana.
Image: Supplied
Members of the IPHC protest outside the Pretoria Magistrate's Court during the IPHC leader Michael Sandlana's court apperance in 2023. |
Image: Thobile Mathonsi Independent Newspapers
The Star Investigations Unit | Johannesburg – April 14, 2025
Justice is no longer a distant hope for the victims of controversial International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) Jerusalem faction leader, Michael Bhekumuzi Sandlana.
After years of swirling allegations, buried dockets, and mounting questions, The Star’s investigative team has uncovered damning documents revealing how Sandlana forged the death certificate of his estranged wife — while she was very much alive and under the same roof. It’s a story so surreal it borders on fiction: a husband secretly declaring his wife dead, filing for her estate, and transferring her car into his name — all without her knowledge.
But this is not a bizarre one-off. Rather, it appears to be part of a long-running pattern of fraud, forgery, and deception that has haunted the church and those close to it since the death of its founding leader, Bishop Glayton Modise, in 2016.
The Star has irrefutable documents proving that on April 9, 2021, Sandlana applied to the Department of Home Affairs as the bereaved spouse of Benedicta Sandlana, falsely claiming she had died of natural causes in Pretoria weeks earlier, on March 16.
With this fabricated death certificate in hand, he moved swiftly to apply for a letter of executorship — positioning himself as the sole beneficiary of her estate. The only problem? Benedicta was still alive.
She learned of her “death” in the most jarring way possible — when her bank in Sandton informed her that she was, according to government records, deceased. “This man killed his own wife while she was alive,” a source close to the matter told The Star.
“He manufactured her death on paper to claim her estate. It’s not the first time he’s pulled a stunt like this.”Indeed, it's not. Sources reveal Sandlana has long been embroiled in fraudulent behavior, including the mysterious posthumous issuance of a smart ID in the name of the late Bishop Modise— five years after his death.
In addition to Benedicta’s “death,” The Star uncovered that Sandlana used stolen identification documents — allegedly taken from his wife — to execute the fraud. This modus operandi echoes allegations tied to the misuse of Bishop Modise’s identity, which investigators believe was leveraged to unlawfully transfer church assets, including buses and livestock, to a company under Sandlana’s control: Ntate O Lerato (Pty) Ltd.
The estate executor, Izak de Villiers, confirmed that no legal transfer documents were signed nor permissions granted for these asset transfers. “I do not know how the signatures and identity documents were obtained,” he told The Star.
The financial implications are staggering. Modise’s estate is estimated at R400 million, and fraudulent activities tied to Sandlana appear to have siphoned off significant assets under the radar, shielded by political connections and alleged protection within SAPS.
Leaders of the IPHC and members of the Modise family are no longer silent. Church elders have publicly denounced Sandlana, describing his claim to leadership as illegitimate and deeply harmful to the church’s integrity.“We have told him to do a DNA test to prove he is Bishop Modise’s son. He refused,” said Exco chairperson Abiel Wessie.
“He has no legal right to claim inheritance or control, yet he forcefully took buses and properties.”Bishop Leonard Modise and his brother Tshepiso have united to confront Sandlana head-on, demanding that the legal system take swift and decisive action. They have accused Sandlana of impersonating their late father’s heir to hijack leadership of the 3-million-member church.
Perhaps the darkest chapter in this saga came on July 11, 2020, when five people were killed during an armed attack at the IPHC headquarters in Zuurbekom.
Though the case involving 42 accused was struck off the roll, one alleged participant has broken ranks, revealing to The Star how the attack was planned by insiders.
Mziwoxolo Thusi, one of the accused, says the attackers were handpicked for their firearms training and given weapons and car keys bearing Sandlana’s image. “We were told our home had been overtaken by imposters and that we had to take back the church for Bishop Sandlana,” he claimed.
This testimony may become a turning point in the investigation, linking Sandlana not only to fraud but potentially to incitement and conspiracy to commit murder. Thusi has vowed to open a new case against Sandlana, despite fearing for his life.
Sandlana is currently facing two pending court cases — one at Pretoria Magistrate’s Court and another at Palm Ridge. Both are scheduled to resume shortly, and for the first time, hard evidence may finally put an end to years of legal stalling.
Among the cases is the fraud charge laid by Benedicta herself, after discovering not only the forged death certificate but also that her Mercedes-Benz had been illicitly transferred into Sandlana’s name.
The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that Modise never received a smart card ID in his lifetime. A fingerprint officer has since verified that the one used in the fraudulent bus transfer was fake.
Why has it taken so long for justice to reach Sandlana? One SAPS insider told The Star that Sandlana has long enjoyed the protection of corrupt elements within the force.
“There is a long list of investigations — from gun smuggling to theft, to killing his wife on paper. We believe this is a deep criminal network that used church influence to shield him.”
Still, momentum is shifting. With The Star's damning documents now in the hands of prosecutors, pressure is mounting on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to move decisively.
A Moment of Truth for the Church and the Country The IPHC, a cornerstone of South African spiritual life for millions, has suffered years of internal chaos, violence, and public scandal. The 2020 shooting, fake identities, estate looting, and death certificate fraud have all tainted the once-respected institution.
But now, with whistleblowers speaking, evidence surfacing, and the courts in motion, the walls appear to be closing in on Michael Sandlana.
For several stories, Sandlana has not responded to The Star’s questions.
