PIETERMARITZBURG, KWAZULU-NATAL — The Icebolethu Group has officially denied any involvement in the mysterious missing body case of church leader Thami Nkonyane, addressing swirling rumors after a court halted his funeral over allegations of bricks in the coffin.
Nkonyane, who dedicated more than four decades of his life to the Christian Catholic Apostolic Holy Spirit Church in Zion—also known as the eNyonini Mission—passed away last month. His burial, which was scheduled for last Saturday, was abruptly stopped by the Pietermaritzburg High Court. The injunction came after the deceased’s family alleged that the coffin provided for the funeral contained bricks instead of his body. Consequently, police have opened a fraud investigation, while grieving relatives claim to have identified a suspected shallow grave on church property and are urgently seeking legal permission to exhume the remains.
Breaking its silence on the matter, a spokesperson for the Icebolethu Group clarified the company’s position, stating that the funeral service provider played no role in the disappearance of the reverend’s body. According to the spokesperson, the company received its instructions directly from Nkonyane’s live-in partner of 21 years to arrange a funeral befitting a prominent church leader.
The spokesperson detailed the sequence of events, explaining that the body was delivered to the family home on a Friday as expected. During the delivery, the family confirmed the identity of their loved one, and the body was left overnight with the agreement that the funeral service would be administered the following day. However, the company subsequently received a letter of intention to halt the proceedings from Nkonyane’s sister and his legal wife.
Despite receiving this letter, the spokesperson explained that the company proceeded with the arrangements because a letter of intent does not carry the legal weight of a court order. They noted that the company remained faithful to its client’s instructions until an actual court directive was received, at which point they immediately complied out of respect for the legal process and as a matter of brand integrity.
The spokesperson also firmly rejected the allegations that the funeral company placed bricks inside the casket. They confirmed that when the casket was eventually returned to their mortuary, it was still covered with white linen, and there were no bricks inside at that stage. Furthermore, while the company became aware of the suspected shallow grave on the church property through social media, the spokesperson stated they take no position on those specific allegations, maintaining that all standard funeral procedures were strictly followed.
Attributing the core of the confusion to an underlying dispute between two families, the spokesperson expressed hope that the relatives would resolve their issues amicably. They reiterated that the company delivers its services with pride and excellence to whoever provides the instruction and will fully comply with any ongoing legal processes as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, the family remains determined to locate Nkonyane’s body and hold the responsible parties accountable. Relatives have pointed out the physical impossibility of a single individual—specifically questioning if a woman acting alone—digging a grave and burying a man of Nkonyane’s size, strongly implying that accomplices were involved in the suspicious burial. As the police fraud investigation continues, the family insists that the law must take its course.
