Parishioners in Pinetown protest their pastor’s reassignment after allegations he engaged in African healing practices spark syncretism debate.
Newsroom (11/03/2026 Gaudium Press ) A group of parishioners at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, plans to appeal Wednesday against what they describe as an “unjust” decision to reassign their pastor, Fr. Sifiso Ndlovu. They believe the move stems from claims that the priest practices traditional African healing, known locally as ubungoma, a cultural practice increasingly scrutinized within South Africa’s Catholic Church.
The parishioners aim to meet with Archbishop Mandla Jwara of Durban on March 11 to request the reversal of the priest’s removal or, failing that, an extension of his term. Ndlovu, who has led the parish since 2021, was placed on involuntary sabbatical alongside another Durban cleric, Fr. Thembelani Ngcobo of Sacred Heart Parish in Montclair, according to the Sunday Tribune. Both have been labeled the “poster priests for syncretism,” a term describing the blend of Catholicism with traditional African spirituality.
A “Syncretism Crisis”
The controversy follows a September 2025 joint pastoral letter by eight bishops from KwaZulu-Natal, including Archbishop Jwara, warning clergy against mixing Catholic sacramental life with traditional African rituals. The letter prohibited clergy and laity from engaging in acts such as animal sacrifices, colored water blessings, non-liturgical dance rituals, or healing ceremonies outside recognized liturgical contexts. It declared that any priest found promoting these practices would face disciplinary action under canon law, including suspension or removal.
While neither Ndlovu nor Ngcobo has publicly confirmed involvement in ubungoma, the bishops’ letter—and the leak of internal clergy appointments—has set off what the Sunday Tribune called a “syncretism crisis” in the Durban Archdiocese. The letter’s critics argue that it alienates clergy seeking to integrate cultural heritage with faith traditions in a society where ancestral veneration is deeply rooted.
Parishioners React
Among Ndlovu’s supporters is parish musician Thokozani Zulu, who said parishioners were devastated by the news. “When he arrived here five years ago, the congregation was a handful of faithful who’d fill only two rows of benches. Today, the church is fully packed because of him,” Zulu told the Tribune.
He emphasized that Ndlovu’s ministry gave no sign of traditional practices within church walls. “In our worship, there’s nothing un-Catholic about his preaching or liturgy,” he said. According to Zulu, the issue likely came to light after a parishioner photographed Ndlovu participating in a traditional ceremony outside church grounds and shared the image with Church officials.
Some parish members, disillusioned by the reassignment, have threatened to withhold tithes or abandon the Church entirely, reflecting broader tensions within South African Catholicism about cultural identity and orthodoxy.
Church Stance and Broader Context
Archbishop Jwara has not publicly commented on the clergy transfers but previously clarified that the bishops’ intent was “not to condemn all ancestral veneration” but to prevent confusion over priests’ roles as sacramental representatives of Christ. In his October 2025 statement, he stressed that “a priest cannot serve two masters,” adding that cultural rituals must never displace core Christian teaching.
There are an estimated 69,000 registered Sangomas (traditional healers) in South Africa, and ubungoma remains common—even among some Christians. In response to this growing overlap, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has studied the phenomenon since 2019, seeking theological guidance on reconciling traditional healing with Church teaching.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly rejects divination, yet some clergy argue that aspects of ubungoma reflect pre-Christian spirituality rather than occultism. The debate continues to challenge South Africa’s Catholic hierarchy as it navigates what many consider the nation’s defining religious question: Can faith and culture coexist without contradiction?
For now, the faithful in Pinetown remain resolute. “We are not fighting the Church,” Zulu said. “We are asking it to see the person we know—a priest who serves with devotion and has revived our parish. All we want is fairness.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from The Pillar
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