By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBABANE: Joyous Celebration Directors are at loggerheads over the gospel choir’s funds with Lindelani Mkhize accused of misappropriating funds, the Sunday Times reported.

“There is little joy and even less celebration among the three directors of South Africa’s largest and most successful gospel choir. Lindelani Mkhize faces allegations from his Joyous Celebration co-directors of multiple financial irregularities, including: failing to disclose and account for monies owed to the corporation, which led to Joyous Celebration Foundation NPC receiving a R1m tax demand from Sars in 2024; secretly securing sponsorships, including from MTN, African Bank and Bathu Sneakers, and hosting events that include: a Restoration show in 2022, a “Replenishment concert” and “Delicious festival” in 2023; and the gospel concert a Soulful Explosion 2025; directing payments received for these events to his personal account or companies he controls; using company assets to fund over R1m in personal travel and car rental expenses over three years; and taking a R300,000 loan from Joyous Celebration in 2017 for his own entity and failing to repay it,” reads the Sunday Times report in part.

It has been reported that, these allegations are part of an alternative dispute resolution application to the Companies Tribunal — which the Sunday Times has seen — filed last month by co-directors Goodman ”Jabu” Hlongwane and Mthunzi Namba, following a recommendation in May by a Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) investigator.