Not the best Adventist story

[Key Guy]

From Sunday World, South Africa

http://www.sundayworld.co.za/swzones/sundayworldNEW/news/news1237061824.asp

A young man who has been masquerading as Cope presidential candidate Bishop Mvume Dandala’s son has been unmasked as a dagga-smoking renegade.

Zama Dandala dropped a bombshell last December when he claimed he was Bishop Dandala’s love child and that “his father” had kicked him out of his house after he left the Methodist Church to join a rival group.

Zama was baptised into the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Orlando West, Soweto, on September 20 last year.

He has since written a scathing letter attacking the Methodist Church, calling it “ungodly”.

Sympathetic members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church had a special prayer service for him on December 20 last year after he told them that he was “homeless and going to spend Christmas alone” after being kicked out of his family home.

Sunday World spoke to at least five senior members of the church, who confirmed that they had a special service for Zama after he told them about his ordeal with “his father”.

One church member says: “The young man told us he was the son of Bishop Dandala and his dad had kicked him out after he joined us.

“We all felt pity for him. He was going to spend Christmas on the street instead of being with his family.”

Sunday World managed to trace Zama’s real father, Zomhle Dandala, to Mount Ayliff in the Eastern Cape – and he is a bitter man.

He says: “My son is a bad boy.

“He smokes dagga and had the nerve to write a letter attacking our church.

“I haven’t seen or heard from him since 2003.

“He is bad news.”

Zomhle says Zama is his love child and that he brought him up in the Methodist Church.

He adds: “My cousin [bishop Mvume Dandala] used to help Zama from time to time in Joburg.

“I don’t have a problem with him joining a different church but I have a serious problem with the letter he sent to our church.”

Bishop Dandala’s long- time friend and confidante, Val Pauquet, tells Sunday World that the Cope president’s love child passed away some time ago and he would have been 38 years old if he was still alive.

Zama is in his early 20s.

Sunday World has been trying to trace Zama for the past three weeks without any joy. He has not been to church for the past few weeks.

Sipho Mthombeni, the man reported to have introduced Zama to the church, refuses to talk to us.

Seventh Day Adventist Church spokesperson Ngaka Tsagae confirms that the church had a special prayer service for Zama but also refuses to give us more details about the incident.