“I Am So Confused”: Man Ignites Online Uproar by Claiming ZCC Bishop Is His Father

• A Mzansi man stunned social media with a bold spiritual paternity claim in a viral video and sparked fierce debate across South African
• The Zion Christian Church has a long lineage of Lekganyane leadership and has previously fought people falsely using its name and symbols
• Critics online ridiculed the man’s claims and referenced past legal actions where he claimed to be in a romantic relationship with a mermaid

A Mzansi man has stunned South Africans by publicly declaring that the leader of one of the country’s biggest churches is his biological father.

In a clip on TikTok posted on 17 February 2026, the man sat during a podcast interview and made the explosive claim about Bishop Lekganyane, the head of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). He said that the bishop carries his father’s spirit.

The man said he spent five years denying the connection because of his Christian beliefs and accusations he heard about the church. He claimed his ancestors told him there were scandals inside the ZCC. He also insisted there was a spirit swap involving his father and the current leader of the church.

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Roots of the ZCC and its leadership

The ZCC is one of the largest African‑initiated churches on the continent. The church started in 1924 in Limpopo by Engenas Lekganyane after a spiritual revelation on Mt Thabakgone.

Today millions follow the church across South Africa and neighbouring countries. Its followers wear a distinctive Star badge and attend massive annual pilgrimages to the Moria headquarters. They practise a mix of Christian and traditional spiritual beliefs.

Leadership has stayed within the Lekganyane family since the beginning. After Engenas died in 1948, his son Edward expanded the church and made the Mokhukhu male fellowship a core feature. Edward’s son, Barnabas Lekganyane, now leads the main branch.

There is also a smaller split church known as St Engenas ZCC, founded by another branch of the family decades ago.

Watch the TikTok video below:

Mzansi grills the man

The video left many viewers baffled and prompted a heated debate in the comment section of the post.

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@MT💗 commented:

"This guy is the one who said he was married to a mermaid."

@zanele ❤️ said:

"I wasted my time listening until the end.😏"

@lizzy wrote:

"I am so confused. Is it true what this guy is saying?🤔"

@Mmatona noted:

"He is definitely hungry."

@SueM96 commented:

"The more I listen, the more I become confused because he is not making any sense."

More articles about ZCC

• A TikTok video showed ZCC members who were gathered together wearing their eye-catching attire.
• A man and a woman went viral for wearing part of their church uniform and lip-syncing to a song in a video.
• A woman shared a video of two ZCC church members singing together, and the man's appearance had South Africans convinced he's Superman's twin.
• A TikTok video shows an American who reacted to seeing one of South Africa's biggest churches do a song and dance.
• One lady went viral after a video of her enjoying some food meant for a crowd caught people's attention.

Source: Briefly News