The Telegraph - UK February 1, 2010
Rumours of child abuse at South African refugee church
For thousands of Zimbabweans who have fled their troubled country, the Methodist church in downtown Johannesburg is the only home they know. Now their priest has been suspended.
By Tabelo Timse, in Johannesburg for AFP
After five years during which up to 2,000 people a night slept on pews, floors and stairwells, the church is now overcrowded, filthy and reeking due to inadequate sanitation - decidedly not the image that South Africa wants to present during the World Cup.
Claims that children were sexually abused by a teacher and fellow migrants emerged late last year, causing a drive by authorities to close down the church - though no one has put forward any alternatives for the homeless foreigners.
"It is not my fault that I'm here," said Nokuthula Ndlovu, a 29-year-old Zimbabwean mother of one.
"Home is best. I was supposed to be in my country but, because of the difficulties, I can't be. If they send me back to Zimbabwe, I will die," said Ndlovu, who has lived in the church since 2008.
Bishop Paul Verryn, who has made a mission of sheltering migrants at the Central Methodist Church, acknowledged the grim living conditions but said that the church had never turned away a homeless person in 20 years.
"We desperately need government support, we are not set up against them," he said. "We are vulnerable. We struggle on a daily basis. We need vigorous cooperation with police as well."
Instead, he says that the government has repeatedly sent in police on "military-like" raids styled as anti-crime swoops, which the bishop says are really a clean-up campaign to remove homeless from the city centre before the World Cup in June.
About 80 per cent of the migrants sheltering here are Zimbabweans who came to South Africa in search of jobs, part of an exodus in which up to three million Zimbabweans have left their country over the last decade.
But in a country with 25 per cent unemployment, they have not received a warm welcome from locals.
The church has tried to help the migrants find a better life, setting up workshops to teach adults computers and crafts, while 450 children attend school there during the day.
"It is good, but the facilities, it's not good - no desk, no chairs and stuff like that," said Diana, a 13-year-old pupil.
In October Molebatsi Bopape, a provincial health official, tried to close down the church, which she described as a disaster and a health hazard.
"That place is not conducive for people to live there, and it's an open secret that there is abuse of children there," she said.
It's the reports of sexual abuse that have done the most to dim the reputation of the church, which many Zimbabweans see as a beacon of hope in an often hostile land.
Verryn said he had called police several times to investigate the claims, but said that the police had shown little interest in the church beyond forcing people off the surrounding sidewalks.
"Criminality in this place is the last thing I want. People are far too vulnerable and we want to empower people. We don't want to drive people into reinforcements of their fears," he said.
But the accusations fly both ways. Provincial authorities say that Verryn has refused to co-operate with social workers who wanted to move the children from the church to safer shelters.
A court appointed a child-rights lawyer to safeguard the children, but that has not eased the tensions.
Methodist authorities have also criticised the bishop, saying that the church was never meant as a permanent shelter for so many people.
Tension between Verryn, local government and the church leadership reached the boiling point on Tuesday when he was suspended by Methodist authorities, who have declined to reveal the exact reasons for their action.
He has been charged with "transgressing the laws and discipline of the church", with a disciplinary hearing set for February 1, said Bongani Khoza. a lawyer for the church.
People depending on the church for shelter say that despite the controversey, they have nowhere else to turn.
"It's not an ideal situation for people to stay in this place. It is only that there is no other option. There is no other place that they can go and stay," said Evans Tendai Kuntonda, who lives at the church.
"This is the only shelter that has opened doors for them. The government of this country doesn't want to admit that this is a crisis."
This article was found at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/7127201/Rumours-of-child-abuse-at-South-African-refugee-church.html
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Infamous South Africa cults and other groups accused of shadowy ways
ReplyDeleteBY ANDREA NAGEL AND KHANYISILE NGCOBO, The Sunday Times, SA, November 23, 2020
The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights) has in recent weeks heard shocking revelations from former cult leaders on how they used “witchcraft” to amass power and wealth, as well as to control unsuspecting congregants.
The likes of pastor Jay Israel and “apostle” Makhado Ramabulana have revealed details of rituals, “secret societies” and sacrifices made over the years to grow their cults and dupe church members into parting with their hard-earned money.
As the commission continues to hear disturbing allegations about former church leaders, we look back at some infamous, and in some cases deadly, cults that have emerged in SA over the years:
MANCOBA SEVEN ANGELS MINISTRY
The church was established in 1986 by Siphiwo Mancoba in Umzimkhulu, KZN and continued after the founder's death by his seven sons and their mother.
Members of the ministry were required to relinquish cars, money and properties as gifts to the “Angel Brothers”. It is alleged the brothers kept many “sex slaves”, some as young as 12.
In February 2018, five police officers and an off-duty soldier were shot and killed by gunmen, allegedly under orders from the church. In the shoot-out, three of the brothers were killed.
KWASIZABANTU MISSION
Now in the news after allegations of abuse, torture, sodomy, rape and virginity testing, the KwaZulu-Natal mission, founded by Reverend Erlo Stegen, has also been accused of money laundering and fraud.
Witnesses claimed in court that KwaSizabantu Mission started as a good organisation, but began to show cult-like characteristics.
CONTINUED BELOW
JESUS DOMINION INTERNATIONAL
ReplyDeleteTimothy Omotoso is the senior pastor of the Durban-based church. He is on trial in the Port Elizabeth high court for rape and human trafficking, and is alleged to have groomed and molested his victims from when they were 14.
In a Sunday Times Daily article from 2018, clinical psychologist Professor Saths Cooper likened Jesus Dominion International to cult.
Cooper explained that though the word cult has different definitions, the most common refers to a religious group, and that such groups share several key characteristics:
--They’re exclusive. They claim to be the only ones with the truth; everyone else is wrong — “If you leave our group your salvation is in danger”;
--They're secretive. Certain teachings are not available to outsiders or they’re presented only to certain members; and
--They're authoritarian. The leader expects total loyalty and absolute obedience.
ELECTUS PER DEUS
Electus per Deus (chosen by God) made headlines a few years ago when six main members of the group went on a killing spree between 2012 and 2016, murdering 11 people, mostly in the Krugersdorp area.
The cult group was led by Cecilia Steyn, and was a breakaway from a church group called Overcomers Through Christ, Sunday Times previously reported.
Other members included Zak Valentine, John Barnard, Cecilia’s friend Marinda Steyn and Marinda’s two children, Marcel and LeRoux.
According to the report, the group’s main aim was to convert Satanists to Christianity.
Steyn, Marcel and Valentine were given multiple terms of life imprisonment while Le Roux was slapped with a 25-year sentence. His mother Marinda, a former high schoolteacher, received 11 life terms, while Barnard got 20 years for his role in the killing spree.
CHURCH TEAM MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL
Church Team Ministries International came under the spotlight almost a decade ago when allegations of brainwashing and sexual abuse emerged.
An extensive report by Mail & Guardian revealed how church members left lucrative jobs and turned their backs on family members at the behest of fellow church members.
The church was founded by Mauritian nationals Miki and Audrey Hardy in 2001. It has local branches in Durban and Johannesburg.
FIND LINKS TO ARTICLES ABOUT EACH OF THOSE GROUPS AT THE FOLLOWING LINK:
https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2020-11-23-five-infamous-and-in-some-cases-deadly-sa-cults/