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Just as his father had predicted, life has been tough for the youngest Mancoba “angel” after his six brothers were either killed or jailed this year.
“When people look at me, they see nothing but a dog,” Benjamin Mancoba (23) said.
His late father and founder of the Mancoba Seven Angels Ministry, which has been revealed as a cult, had prophesied that the family would face hardships.
“He told us, his sons, that his family was going to suffer because he had been sent by God. I knew that, even before they were shot by police, my three elder brothers would die because my father had told me so.”
The brothers allegedly masterminded the murder of five police officers near the Ngcobo Police Station, Eastern Cape, on Tuesday, February 20.
Subsequently, seven members of the church, including three of the seven “angels” – Thandazile (37), Xolisa (37) and Philile (33) – were shot dead in a confrontation with police that Friday.
The four others who were killed were Vumile Kwele, Siyasanga Mfazwe, Luzuko Mbedu and Loyiso Dlambulo.
Benjamin’s three other brothers, church leaders Banele (30), Ephraim (23) and Phuthumile (31), as well as several cult members, were arrested when police raided and shut down the compound.
Benjamin was taken in for questioning, but was released and was not charged.
He said it was lonely at home, and he had to take care of his mother and three sisters by himself.
Social workers took his young wife and dozens of other girls, some as young as 12, who were allegedly kept as sex slaves, to places of safety.
He said he had not seen his wife since, but kept in contact with her by phone.
All religious activity at the compound had stopped, pending word from “the father”, Benjamin said.
He said he still got messages from him, even though they no longer held services and sermons.
Residents in the area had called for the ministry’s headquarters to be torn down.
“I have got nothing to say to people who want our home to be demolished,”
he said.
After his brothers allegedly killed the police officers, they allegedly stole 10 of their firearms.
Police recovered all of them at the cult’s premises.
Benjamin was joined by some of the cult members who had come to support the suspects when they appeared in a packed Ngcobo Magistrates’ Court last Thursday.
All six have been charged with five counts of murder, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and one count of attempted murder. Phuthumile faces an additional charge of possession of an unlicenced firearm.
Banele and Ephraim are charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery with aggravating circumstances. Banele faces sexual abuse charges, including rape.
The case was postponed to July 27.
A police officer previously speculated that the brothers went on their crime spree after they ran out of money to fund their lifestyles.
