Suspended Anglican priest reinstates himself
…vows to continue conducting mass in defiance of the Archbishop’s banishment
’Mantoetse Maama
Embattled Anglican Priest Reverend Father Maieane Khaketla has decided to reinstate himself after being suspended by Bishop Mallane Taaso in August 2011 for a speech he had made at the funeral of a fellow cleric in South Africa.
After fighting in vain for reinstatement, Reverend Khaketla surprised his colleagues and congregation by joining them at the pulpit to conduct Mass at St James and St Mary Cathedral last Sunday after almost four years in the wilderness.
Reverend Khaketla on Wednesday told the Sunday Express he had decided to end his banishment on his own after getting no joy from the relevant authorities of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The priest has also since written an ‘open letter’ to Archbishop Thabo Makgoba about his suspension and reinstatement, which he copied to several stakeholders. The letter, dated 27 July 2015, chronicles Father Khaketla’s fight for reinstatement and how he ended up deciding to lift his suspension a fortnight ago.
On Wednesday, Father Khaketla gave a brief background of how he ended up in hot water.
“On 4 August 2011, I attended the funeral of the late Bishop Joseph Tsubella at St Peter’s Chains in Katlehong in the Gauteng Province of South Africa.
“At the service, I was requested to make a speech on behalf of the Maputle family as the late Bishop’s wife, Regina, is my cousin.
“In my speech, I told the mourners that Bishop Tsubella was loved by all Basotho and only hated by 10 priests from the church.
“The statement angered Bishop Mallane Taaso and he invited me to his office on my return to Lesotho. He told me that he wanted to have a meeting with me as he was worried about the speech and wanted my opinion about what I had said.
“I requested him to state specifically what worried him about my speech and said he would have preferred that I elaborate more on it.
“We failed to cut progress in our discussion such that he verbally told me that he would not give me any duties for the month of August 2011, and then I was suspended indefinitely.”
After finding no joy in his fight for reinstatement, Father Khaketla decided to take matters into his own hands and wrote the ‘open letter’ to Archbishop Makgoba of South Africa, through Rev Canon William Mostert of Cape Town, explaining his decision to return.
Father Khaketla writes: “On 16 September 2011, I wrote to Archbishop Thabo Makgoba regarding my suspension by the Lord Bishop of Lesotho. In his response of 23 September 2011, the then Provincial Executive Officer, Rev Allan J Kannemeyer, said: ‘The Archbishop’s involvement in the dioceses of the province is governed by the constitution and Canons of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
‘The matter about which you write falls outside this Canonical mandate. Canons 25 and 41 spell out the interventions (Appeals) which clergy can apply for. I trust you have appreciation for the role of the Archbishop of the province and for the jurisdiction of the local Bishop in the affairs of his diocese.’
“Since then, I have written over a dozen letters to the Archbishop and bishops of the province all to no avail. I am not expecting the Archbishop to do anything now; I am writing to you to pass this message to him for his information only.”
Reverend Khaketla then chronicles how he ended up back at church “after 1450 days” on the side-lines.
“On Sunday, 19 July 2015, I attended the 8:30am and 10am masses at the Cathedral of St Mary and St James, Maseru. At both services, I announced to scores of Basotho who were present that I was reinstating myself as Assistant Priest in the Cathedral Perish. I pointed out to them that the provision of Canon 39 had been trampled upon. I had been suspended for 1450 days and I was therefore returning to my post.
“The reason is that since my suspension, no charge has been proffered against me as per the provisions of Canon 39. This lengthy suspension, apart from being illegal, does not concur with the provisions of natural justice, that there should be an end date to any suspension or punishment.
“On Tuesday 21 July, I went to the Office of the Dean, the Very Rev Tanki Mofana and informed him of my reinstatement. He argued that it was uncanonical, and I pointed out that my suspension was also uncanonical. I asked him to pass the message on to the Bishop and he told me that the Bishop and his wife had left for holiday in Germany the previous day. I told him that I would be celebrating mass at 8:30am and 10am on the 26th, and we parted.
“On Thursday 23 July, I once again met with the Dean and reiterated my statement that I would be celebrating mass on the 26th.
“He said he would be celebrant at 8:30am and Rev Molemo Baatjies would be celebrant at 10am. I said I would also be there and parted. On Sunday the 26, I got to the cathedral at 8am and found the Dean finishing the 7am mass. I robed and we concelebrated the mass and I concelebrated with Rev Baatjies and five other priests.
“At all the services, the church warden, Mr Ithuteng Pefole, addressed the congregation and told them that they, as the Church Council, are bound by the Canons and the decisions of the Bishop. However, he said they had allowed me to be in sanctuary because they did not want confrontations where I would be dragged off the altar.
“What he did not do was to tell the congregations that they, as the Cathedral Executive, had requested the police to come and drag me off the altar, and they had been ignored. I attach the said letter for your information. Don’t bother about the grammar. This is the level to which the Anglican Church of Lesotho has sunk. As a matter of interest, you may wish to know that there are many others priests who, like me, have been arbitrarily suspended by the Bishop,” he added
The letter Rev Taaso had written to the ‘Commissioner of Police’ requesting security and which Father Khaketla scoffs at, reads: “On behalf of the Anglican Church of Lesotho, the St James and Mary Cathedral at Maseru West is humbly requesting your good office to provide the church with security tomorrow, 26 July 2015 from 6am until 3pm when all church services are conducted.
“The reason being: the Senate of the church has suspended Reverent Father Maieane Khaketla from conducting any church services until further notice but last Sunday, he took the pulpit and announced that he is now declaring war and will be in all church services to perform his duties. He further, in front of the congregation, tear {sic} all correspondence pertaining to his suspension including the court order”.
Asked if he would continue attending mass, Father Khaketla on Wednesday said he would be at the church today holding a special prayer for the police.
“I will be holding a service at 10am for the police and the commissioner, together with other senior police officers, will be present. The commissioner has requested that I hold the prayer service,” he said.
Repeated efforts by the Sunday Express to get the church’s side of the story proved fruitless.
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