Lawyer Mpumelelo “Bond” Nyoka is back with a bang – landing one of the country’s largest court cases after 14 years out of the game.
Just two months after being readmitted as an attorney and conveyancer, Nyoka is representing a church in what is expected to be a keenly watched criminal trial.
Nyoka was interdicted from practising in 2004 and struck from the roll in 2009 after stealing more than R400,000 from his clients.
He paid back the money, but said earlier he had also paid a deep personal, emotional and material price for his sins.
Nyoka has been appointed to represent Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian Gathering Church in a criminal matter after three congregants died in a stampede at the church premises in Pretoria in December.
The case presents an opportunity for Nyoka to once again flex his legal muscle and mind.
It will be the first time in well over a decade that he will defend a client, after his readmission in December.
Speaking from Pretoria, a buoyant Nyoka said he embraced the challenge.
“Part of a lawyer’s DNA is to accept challenges and see to it that justice is seen to be done.
“It’s a terrain I need to navigate and a continuation of the journey I left off in 2004.
“Life is all about accepting challenges,” he said.
Nyoka said his involvement with the church began when a pastor friend – who was originally from Port Elizabeth but now lives in Cape Town – introduced him to Bushiri in Rustenburg in 2018 when he, Nyoka, offered legal advice to the prophet “and from there some church members liked my input”.
He declined to delve into the merits of the stampede case, save to say “the state must prove that there was an element of negligence and intent on the part of my client, otherwise I would not have taken this matter”.
Nyoka is operating under the supervision of Stuart Laubscher Inc as a condition prescribed by the court in terms of his readmission.
Asked whether any other high-profile matters were lined up in the foreseeable future, Nyoka said he was taking one case at a time.
In the past few days, he has been consulting with witnesses in the stampede matter in readiness for the case expected to begin later in February.
On Monday, Nyoka was officially given a letter of appointment to represent the church in the stampede matter, by Enlightened Christian Gathering Church director Samuel Dulungana.
Three women were killed and nine others were injured on December 28 as congregants panicked and caused a stampede as they fled and sought cover following a heavy downpour in Pretoria.
As a result of the tragedy, the church has been charged with defeating the ends of justice because the incident was not immediately reported to the police.
Heartbroken family and friends of the victims were shocked to learn the bodies had allegedly been removed from the scene and transported to a private mortuary without their consent.
They found out only at a later stage that their loved ones had died.
In the past, Nyoka enjoyed the spotlight and represented high-profile clients including former Miss SA finalist Vanessa Goosen, of Port Elizabeth, who was convicted of drug peddling in Bangkok, where she was sentenced to 30 years.
He also acted for Luyanda Mboniswa, who was found guilty of the murder of former president FW de Klerk’s exwife, Marike.