Funeral parlour and deceased church leader’s sister address ‘bricks in coffin’ claims

Icebolethu Group and Sibongile Nkonyane have moved to address mounting public speculation surrounding the funeral of the late Enyonini Mission Church president, Dr TE Nkonyane, in KwaZulu-Natal, Newcastle. The church leader died on 31 May and was meant to have been buried on Saturday, 6 June, as per Icebolethu’s Facebook posts. However, the funeral did not proceed smoothly as planned amid a court order brought by the deceased’s wife.

There are also claims that there were bricks in the coffin, not the remains of the deceased. “As a company entrusted with serving bereaved families, we take any matter involving our funeral operations seriously and are committed to conducting ourselves with professionalism, integrity and respect for the law at all times,” said the funeral parlour in a statement. “We wish to state that Icebolethu carried this burial like any other dignified burial we handle.

We adhered to all our processes and procedures according to our service standards and the industry’s legal framework.” According to Icebolethu, the body of the deceased is not missing. “The family buried the body as per their preference,” said Icebolethu. “There were no bricks inside the casket; those claims are not true.

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We request the public to refrain from spreading false claims, as they are tarnishing the legacy of the late church leader, the family and the church. “Icebolethu Group acknowledges and respects the family’s beliefs, customs and cultural practices. “As per procedure and the family’s request, Icebolethu delivered the deceased’s remains on Friday, 5 June 2026, to the family home.

On Saturday, 6 June 2026, Icebolethu carried on with the normal funeral proceedings. During the funeral service, Icebolethu was served with a court order and complied.” The funeral parlour called on the public to allow the authorities to handle the matter amid ongoing court processes. However, the deceased’s sister, Sibongile, says the family has allegedly uncovered a grave at the church premises.

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