Azwihangwi Maumela, also known as Lazarus Azwihangwi Maumela and Bishop Hangwi Maumela, is a South African pastor, businessperson and political activist. He comes from the Vhembe District in Limpopo Province, although reliable sources have not published the exact town or village where he was born. He is a South African national and, according to his public social media profile, he lives in Johannesburg, Gauteng.
Maumela is known for his church work, his support for Cyril Ramaphosa in the 2017 ANC leadership race, and a number of public disputes. This biography sets out what credible reports confirm about his background, career and public life. It also states clearly where information is missing or unverified, so readers can trust what they are reading.
Who Is Azwihangwi Maumela
Azwihangwi Maumela is commonly called Bishop Hangwi Maumela in South African media. On his public profiles he describes himself as a pastor, a businessperson, a leader and a motivational speaker. His Facebook page lists him as a politician, pastor and businessperson, and his YouTube channel carries his sermons and messages.
Sunday World describes him as a church leader whose public life has often crossed paths with South Africa’s political establishment. He is a member of the ANC Chaplaincy, a group of religious leaders who serve within the governing party’s structures. Because of this mix of faith, business and politics, his name appears in both church circles and national news.
Azwihangwi Maumela State of Origin and Home District
Maumela hails from the Vhembe District in Limpopo Province, according to Sunday World. Limpopo is South Africa’s northernmost province, and Vhembe sits in its far northeast, close to the Limpopo River and the border with Zimbabwe. The district is home to municipalities such as Thulamela, Makhado, Musina and Collins Chabane, and its main centre is Thohoyandou.
This region is the traditional home of the Vhavenda people, who speak Tshivenda. Before 1994, much of the area formed part of the Venda homeland, which apartheid authorities declared independent in 1979, though no other country recognised it. Today Venda culture remains strong in the district, with a deep respect for family, chiefs and community life.
This paragraph describes the region, not Maumela’s personal history. No reliable source names his village, his parents or his family background, so this article does not guess at them.
Azwihangwi Maumela Early Life
Very little verified information exists about Maumela’s childhood. His date of birth has not been published by any credible source that I could find, so it is not stated here. Some online profiles say he was born in the 1970s, but they do not cite a record, so that claim should be treated as unconfirmed.
What can be said is that he grew up with roots in Limpopo’s Venda region and later built his life around Gauteng. His own public statements show that he has lost his wife, which he mentioned on X in 2023 while asking the public not to confuse him with another person of a similar name.
Azwihangwi Maumela Education
His Facebook profile states that he studied at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, commonly called Wits. The profile does not list a degree, a field of study or graduation year, and I found no independent confirmation of those details. Readers who need exact qualifications should treat this as a self reported detail until better documentation appears.
Azwihangwi Maumela Career
Maumela’s working life spreads across three areas: ministry, business and civic or political activity. The details below are drawn from news reports and his public profiles.
Pastoral Ministry
A biographical profile published in September 2026 describes him as the founder and presiding bishop of Faith Harvest Bible Church. News reports have also linked him to an entity called Faith Harvest Trading, which Sunday World describes as church linked. I could not find official registration records for either name, so the exact structure of the church and its size remain unconfirmed.
His YouTube channel shows that he shares sermons and motivational talks online. He presents his calling as central to his life.
Business Activities
Maumela describes himself as a businessperson, but public information about his companies is thin. The best documented business related episode is a 2019 controversy involving a businessman named Lawrence Maroos. City Press reported that Maroos alleged he paid R100 000 to Faith Harvest Trading in the hope of winning government tenders, and that he never received them. Maumela confirmed the recording and said he charged a fee for helping Maroos prepare tender documents, and he disputed the claim that the money was taken fraudulently. Sunday World repeated these points in its 2026 profile.
Concerned South Africans
News24’s City Press reported in 2019 that Maumela led an organisation called Concerned South Africans, since a former assistant wrote that she was hired to work for it. A biographical profile also describes him as its president. The group is presented as a civic body focused on governance and public service issues, but I found limited independent reporting on its membership or activities.
Azwihangwi Maumela Political Involvement and the ANC
Maumela first drew wide attention for backing Cyril Ramaphosa in the closely fought 2017 ANC leadership race, which Ramaphosa won against Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. He was also linked to the campaign calling for former president Jacob Zuma to step down.
He is a member of the ANC Chaplaincy and was a delegate to the ANC Limpopo conference in 2022. Sunday World notes that his political activity has reached beyond his home province.
In 2018 he publicly accused the late former ANC deputy president David Mabuza of being a murderer. Mabuza responded by opening a criminal defamation complaint. Maumela repeated his criticism at a media briefing that year and said he was ready to face Mabuza in court. He described his campaign as a fight against political gangsterism inside the ANC. The outcome of the complaint is not covered in the sources I reviewed.
Azwihangwi Maumela Public Disputes
Sunday World also reports that in 2018 a married member of the ANC Youth League in Mahikeng accused Maumela of making unwanted sexual advances. She said he removed her from a campaign WhatsApp group after she turned him down. This is an allegation as reported by the newspaper. I did not find a court finding or a detailed response from Maumela in the material reviewed, so readers should not treat it as established fact.
The Maroos matter described above is another dispute that followed him. Taken together, these episodes show why media coverage of Maumela often focuses on controversy as much as on his church work.
Azwihangwi Maumela and the Shadrack Sibiya Case
In September 2026, Maumela returned to the headlines. He was with suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya at a Sandton venue when police arrested Sibiya on a Monday night. Maumela said they were having dinner at a restaurant, while some media commentators described the venue differently. Sibiya faces charges that include rape, human trafficking and sexual grooming of a child, and the matter is before the courts.
Outside the Randburg Magistrate’s Court the next day, Maumela called Sibiya a long time friend. He claimed the arrest was driven by a succession battle inside the police. He also called on President Ramaphosa to intervene and warned of possible retaliation.
On September 23, Maumela issued a written statement withdrawing his remarks and apologising. He said he should have shown greater sensitivity and restraint, especially because the case involves a minor. He also withdrew what he had said about the President, law enforcement agencies and the Madlanga Commission, and said he never meant to threaten or intimidate anyone. Maumela is not accused of any offence in this case. Readers should check current news for updates, since the case is ongoing.
Azwihangwi Maumela Is Not Hangwani Maumela
Because the names are similar, some people confuse Azwihangwi Maumela with Hangwani Morgan Maumela, a businessman who has been the subject of investigations into Tembisa Hospital contracts. In June 2023, Azwihangwi Maumela stated on X that he is not Morgan Hangwani Maumela and asked not to be linked to him. Readers should keep the two people separate, and any claims about one should not be applied to the other without clear evidence.
Azwihangwi Maumela Personal Life
Maumela has said publicly that he lost his wife. His 2023 post on X refers to the family still grieving, and his Facebook profile lists him as widowed. He has not shared further personal details in sources I could verify, and this article respects that privacy by not speculating about his family.
Azwihangwi Maumela Awards
I did not find any verified awards or honours given to Maumela by an independent organisation. A biographical profile points to his consecration as a bishop as a key recognition within his ministry, but this is a church appointment and not a public award. If credible information about awards appears later, this section can be updated.
Azwihangwi Maumela Online Presence
Maumela is active on Facebook, X and YouTube under variations of his name, and his profiles point to a website at lazarusmaumela.org.za. His accounts are used to share sermons, personal statements and responses to news about him. Since several people share similar names, readers should confirm they are looking at his verified pages before drawing conclusions.
Sources and Verification Note
This profile draws on reporting from Sunday World, City Press, Scrolla, Briefly and Bona, along with Maumela’s own public social media profiles. Where sources disagree or details could not be confirmed, the article says so. Claims from a single unofficial biography site were used only when they were consistent with other reporting, and details like his date of birth were left out because no reliable record exists.
Conclusion
Azwihangwi Maumela is a South African bishop, businessperson and political activist from Limpopo’s Vhembe District. He has been visible in ANC politics since the 2017 leadership race, and he has led or been linked to church and civic organisations. His public record also includes disputes, allegations and a recent retraction over his comments about the Sibiya case.
Much of his early life remains undocumented, including his date of birth and exact place of birth. Readers should rely on verified reporting and be careful not to mix him up with Hangwani Maumela. This profile will be most useful when read alongside current news.
FAQs
Who is Azwihangwi Maumela?
He is a South African pastor, businessperson and political activist, widely called Bishop Hangwi Maumela. He is a member of the ANC Chaplaincy.
Where is Azwihangwi Maumela from?
He hails from the Vhembe District in Limpopo Province, according to Sunday World. His exact town or village has not been published.
What is Azwihangwi Maumela’s date of birth?
No reliable source publishes his date of birth. Some online profiles suggest the 1970s, but this is unconfirmed.
Is Azwihangwi Maumela the same person as Hangwani Maumela?
No. Azwihangwi Maumela stated publicly in 2023 that he is not Morgan Hangwani Maumela. They are separate people.
Which church is Azwihangwi Maumela linked to?
A biographical profile describes him as founder and presiding bishop of Faith Harvest Bible Church. Official registration details were not found.
Why was Azwihangwi Maumela in the news in September 2026?
He defended Shadrack Sibiya outside court after Sibiya’s arrest, then withdrew his remarks and apologised on September 23.
Is Azwihangwi Maumela married?
He has said he lost his wife, and his Facebook profile lists him as widowed.