FOUNDER of Rest in Christ Ministries Vincent Jabulani Hlatshwako is facing a High Court bid to have his property attached after allegedly failing to pay E110 709.51 in maintenance and school expenses for his children.
Hlatshwako’s former wife, Busisiwe Happiness Matsebula, wants the court to issue a writ of execution against Hlatshwako’s property to recover E102 209.51 in outstanding school-related expenses and E8 500 in maintenance arrears for September.
During the compiling of the report, the newly-engaged bishop had not filed his intentions to the allegation brought to court by Matsebula.
In her urgent application, Matsebula alleged that the man of God had failed to comply fully with a court order issued on June 25, directing him to contribute towards the maintenance and education expenses of their children. She is also seeking an order dispensing with the ordinary rules governing service and time limits to allow the matter to be heard urgently, as well as legal costs on an attorney-and-client scale.
According to the founding affidavit, High Court Judge Zonke Magagula ordered Hlatshwako to pay E13 000 monthly towards the maintenance of two minor children until they attain the age of majority or become self-supporting.
The order further directed him to contribute two-thirds of the tuition and school expenses of the children still attending school.
However, Matsebula alleged that Hlatshwako paid only E4 500 towards September maintenance obligation, leaving an outstanding balance of E8 500. She further claimed that he has contributed only E6 000 towards school-related expenses during 2026, leaving E102 209.51 outstanding from his expected contribution.
Matsebula stated that the children attend Enjabulweni School, where they are enrolled in high school and primary school, respectively. She estimated their annual tuition expenses at E122 853.75, adding that the school account also reflects an outstanding balance of E9 572.01.
The affidavit further lists uniform expenses of E7 097.40 for the older child and E6 537.50 for the younger one. Stationery costs are stated as E2 769 for the elder minor and E1 484.60 for the younger one.
In addition, the older one attended a school trip in September, which cost E3 650. Matsebula said she had personally paid E43 600 towards the children’s tuition fees this year, despite the existing court order requiring their father to contribute towards their educational expenses. She alleged that repeated requests for Hlatshwako to honour the order have not yielded positive results.
The situation allegedly escalated on September 9 when the school informed her that the children could no longer be allowed to attend classes until the outstanding amounts were settled.
“I do state that on or about September 9, I was informed by the school that the children will no longer be allowed at the school pending payment of all the outstanding amounts,” she stated in her affidavit. She said she instructed her attorneys to engage Hlatshwako’s legal representative in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but claims the efforts did not produce a satisfactory outcome.
Matsebula further alleged that Hlatshwako has cut off communication with the school, making it difficult for the institution to contact him regarding the outstanding fees.
She said she subsequently approached the school principal to negotiate for the children to remain in class while she tried to resolve the financial dispute with their father. The applicant argued that the matter required urgent intervention because the children risk losing valuable learning time as their final examinations approach. She warned that any exclusion from school could affect their academic performance and potentially force them to repeat their respective classes. “The issues pertaining to the welfare and general upkeep of minor ,children are by their nature urgent,” she said, adding that the High Court, as the upper guardian of minors, should intervene when their interests are at stake.
Matsebula said she believed that Hlatshwako owns properties that could be attached to recover the outstanding amounts.
“I humbly submit that granting of the relief sought will assist me to attach some of the respondent’s property to cater for the children’s school fees and maintenance,” she stated, as she further brought in terms of Section 221 of the Children’s Protection and Welfare Act, 2012.
| Expense Category | Court Order / Amount Claimed | Amount Paid | Outstanding Balance Claimed |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 Maintenance | E13 000.00 / month (ordered June 25) | E4 500.00 | E8 500.00 |
| School Fees & Educational Expenses (2026) | Two-thirds share of Enjabulweni School tuition (E122 853.75 total), uniforms, stationery & trip | E6 000.00 (Applicant paid E43 600.00) | E102 209.51 |
| Total Amount Sought via Writ of Execution: | E110 709.51 | ||
Figures extracted from the founding affidavit filed by Busisiwe Happiness Matsebula at the High Court of Eswatini.
