In an unusual turn of events, a well-known Vhembe bishop has found himself on the wrong side of the law and is now under arrest.
Bishop Vhonani Baldwin Netshidzivhe of Muledane, outside Thohoyandou, handed himself over at the Thohoyandou police station on Saturday.
Netshidzivhe, a member of The African Union Churches Parliament (AUCP), has been charged with robbery. He appeared in the Vuwani Magistrate's Court on Monday, and his case was postponed to 18 September for profiling and a possible bail application. He remains in custody.
Netshidzivhe is the third high-profile "man of God" to be arrested in Vhembe in recent times, following the arrest of Prophet Innocent Muritho and Bishop Roxley Masevhe, both of whom are facing rape charges.
Vhembe SAPS spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi confirmed the arrest, saying preliminary investigations indicated that the bishop had allegedly been involved in a robbery at a liquor outlet in Tshitungulwane on Friday, 29 August.
"Residents who heard of the robbery came to the owner's rescue. The [suspect] managed to flee from the scene in his getaway car, with community members in hot pursuit. A distance away, the getaway car capsized, but the [suspect] still managed to flee on foot. He handed himself to the Thohoyandou police the next day," Dathi said.
He further indicated that investigators believe the bishop may be the mastermind behind a spate of robberies and carjackings in the Vhembe area.
Sources close to the situation told Limpopo Mirror that Netshidzivhe is allegedly one of the most senior figures in the Vhembe underground and has reportedly used different types of vehicles as getaway cars during the commission of these crimes.
Archbishop Ndikandafhi Makhuvha, president of The African Union Churches Parliament, confirmed that he had received information about the arrest.
"As an organisation we view the allegations levelled against Bishop Netshidzivhe in a very serious light. While we acknowledge Bishop Netshidzivhe's membership with us, we want to emphasise that we do not condone or tolerate any behaviour that is contrary to our values and mission, including any alleged criminal actions. We also acknowledge Bishop Netshidzivhe's constitutional right to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty through due process," he said.
Makhuvha added that the church had suspended him, pending the outcome of legal proceedings. "We will monitor the situation and take necessary actions in accordance with our policies and procedures," he said.