WATCH | Church probes unholy tussle at its premises

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The leadership of a church where two members were involved in a tussle over a gate at its premises say they are investigating the incident internally.

This is after a video surfaced on social media where a  young man was seen wrestling an elderly church member at the gate of the Old Apostolic Church premises in NU 8, Mdantsane, outside East London, Eastern Cape.

When Sowetan called the head office of the church in Gqeberha, a secretary who refused to give his name said they could not comment on the matter but an internal investigation was going to be conducted.

In the video which went viral on Sunday, a young man in the company of two women and a baby in pram appeared to be trying to open the gate while the elderly man is pushing to close it. The elderly man managed to close the gate and told the group they would not be able to get inside because they arrived late for the church service.

He told them to leave and that they were blessed. The younger church member, however, demanded to know where the rule was written that they could be prevented entering the premises if they were late.

He could then be seen forcefully opening the gate and instructing his companions to get inside. The older church member insisted that they could not go inside, just like other congregants who had left because they came late.

 The group eventually managed to go inside.

A church member from another branch, Melisizwe Moyeni, said: "There is a certain number that can be allowed inside the church so as to observe Covid-19 regulations. When the church has reached that number they don’t compromise.

"The service starts at 10.15am but people have to be at the church by 9.30am for screening and registration. Unfortunately, when the guy arrived with his family or friends the service had already started and had reached the allowed number of congregants.”

Moyeni said the older man was simply protecting the rules of the church. “While the service has started, no-one is allowed to get inside because there is no-one who will take late comers' details or screen them,” he said.