Inside Bishop I. Makamu Family With Wife and Why They Didn’t Divorce Despite the Cheating Scandal

For a man who hosts a family show on DStv’s Moja Love called “Rea Tsotella”, where he helps reconcile families, one would have thought his own family life was under control. This has not been the case as Bishop I Makamu has faced issues in his family emanating from a cheating scandal in 2021 and as a result, he made headlines for the wrong reasons.

The fuzz that was generated after the scandal made many think that he would be facing divorce in his marriage, however, it seems that will not be happening – at least not on the account of the cheating scandal. Despite all the embarrassment the Bishop and his family have faced, his wife saved the day by deciding to forgive her husband instead of letting go of their almost two decades of marriage. For a family that has gone through a situation like this, you can agree that they are worth knowing more about.

A Look At Bishop Israel Makamu’s Marriage

Bishop Israel Makamu is the founder of Endless Hope Bible Church and is married to Hloniphile Makamu. We are not sure of how happy the marriage is or has been, especially on the basis of the infidelity scandals and criticisms the marriage has faced. The bishop has never been known to be married and divorced before, which makes his current wife his first and only wife.

Though his marriage has faced situations that should probably have led to divorce, his wife has continued to stand by him instead of leaving him at a time when his image had already been tarnished. We must all agree that he is indeed favored to have a wife like her. His wife, Hloniphile, is a nurse and has proven to be of immense support to him in his ministry.

Makamu And His Wife Hloniphile Met When She Was 19

Bishop Makamu met Hloniphile in 2003 at Katlehong and immediately he set his eyes on her, he knew she was the woman for him and he did not waste any time approaching her. In an interview with Drum, he narrated the events of their first meeting and referred to it as a memory that is evergreen in his heart.

According to him, after dropping a friend, he saw her standing close to a traffic light and immediately stepped out of the car to approach her. Though he was nervous, he was so sure that she was his wife that he did not mind chasing her around and waiting for her at the taxi stop until he was able to speak to her properly. After one week of seeking her attention, he was finally able to get it.

Makamu went on to add that his wife was the first woman he asked out and she was a 19-year-old nursing student at Ann Latsky Nursing College at the time. He credits his getting married to his wife two years after meeting her to his perseverance and determination to win her while he was wooing her.

Makamu and Hloniphile Got Married In 2005

Two years after meeting his wife, Bishop Makamu took the bold step of proposing to her but she was unsure of whether or not she wanted to be married to a pastor as he had revealed to her that he had been called to be a pastor. Despite admitting to feeling indifferent about getting married to a pastor, Hloniphile attested to the fact that she and her husband complemented each other and shared the same spiritual understanding. She said they even attended the same church and prayed together.

Hloniphile decided not to allow her fear of getting married to a pastor to override God’s call and plan for her life and so she said yes to him and in 2005, they tied the knot. The couple is yet to reveal what kind of wedding ceremony they had. To prove that her decision to get married to a pastor was from her heart, she decided to study theology while in nursing school but when the workload became too much for her, she had to put a pause on theology but had plans of completing her studies.

Truths About The Bishop I Makamu Cheating Scandal In 2021

Makamu seemed to have a happy family and a successful career in the ministry, with his controversial Moja Love reality TV show and growing church until May 2021 when an audio recording of his conversation with a former member of his church went viral.

In the audio, you can clearly hear his voice asking a female member of his church whether there was anybody around the premises that would see him if he comes, then he goes on to ask her if she would give him and she responds with a blatant No. However, as the recording continues, he kept on persisting until she finally gives in. Though sex was not directly mentioned in the recording, social media users concluded that it was implied.

In response to the viral audio recording, Bishop Makamu claims that the conversation took place sometime in 2017 with a former church member but was not in any way sexual. According to him, he can not do something that would bring embarrassment to his wife or tarnish his image. He also claimed that the conversation had been edited in a bid to extort money from him.

Like that wasn’t enough, the lady in question went on to sue him for sexual assault. She also claimed that he tried to pay damages by offering her father R1 million through his wife so as to keep what happened a secret. As much as the revelation was devastating, the fact that she waited four years before coming out also got people talking. In her defense, she claimed she decided to come out because she did not want him to do the same thing to another person. In the end, the case was settled out of court.

Bishop Makamu’s Wife Preferred To Forgive Him Instead Of Resorting To Divorce

The entire scandal got a lot of social media users anticipating the news of Makamu’s divorce but to their greatest surprise, the reverse was the case. During one of their Sunday services on May 16, 2021, Bishop Israel preached a controversial message on forgiveness, then in the course of the sermon he begins to tell his wife that he knows he does not deserve to be her husband, but with humility, he is asking her to find a place in her heart to forgive him.

Just as he concludes his statement, his wife, who was already crying, walked up to him and hugged him. While this entire display may seem romantic and beautiful, not everyone fell for the act with many saying Hloniphile did not really forgive him from her heart and that she only had to act along.

Some social media users who felt so offended about Hloniphile’s action even went on to call her a ‘clown’. Others, especially ladies who said they can never take such embarrassment from a man. Some others, mostly, guys, did not see things from the perspective of the women, and rather they praised Hloniphile for being a forgiving wife and standing with her man.

Irrespective of what social media users and the entire public at large may have had to say, what really matters is that she forgave her husband and has decided to stay in her marriage. Hopefully, it is not a decision she was pressured into making or one that she would regret.

The Makamus Are Blessed With Three Children

No doubt, the entire cheating scandal must have brought some level of embarrassment not just to the Bishop but to his wife and children as well but what can we say, they are still together. The couple whose marriage has lasted up to 16 years is blessed with three children.

The first child who goes by the name Ntwanano was born in 2007, the second child, Ntokozo, was born in 2009 and the last child, Ntsumi, was born in 2018. At the time of this writing, we don’t have information as regards the exact month of birth of all three of his children, but from their birth year, you can tell that it took two years after their marriage for their first child to be born.

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Romeo Ndlovu
Romeo Ndlovu
Romeo's secret talent is taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary content. At work, he is thinking about how best to provide the most unique, original content that provides utmost satisfaction to the user. Away from work, he is a football addict who loves to catch up on his favorite pastimes

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