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The Doom pastor, the resurrection miracle, the sex pests ... the stories making headlines recently are only a fraction of what is happening in a number of churches across the country.
“What the public is seeing or knows about religious leaders is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is really going on in churches around the country because those prepared to take their leaders to task are very few,” said Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, outgoing chairperson of the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights) Commission.
Mkhwanazi-Xaluva spoke to City Press at the presentation of resolutions from the commission’s fourth consultative conference on Tuesday.
She called on the South African public to be vigilant, not gullible.
“We have been seeing nothing but fantasy being presented to people in some of the churches in our country. When in these churches, people tend to believe everything and anything. When you are poor and destitute you want a miracle and when someone presents something that seems like a miracle you buy into it,” she said.
Over the past few years South Africa has witnessed an increasing number of individuals who have been termed “fake prophets” emerge within the religious realm.
From Lethebo Rabalago – widely known as the Doom Pastor, a South African “prophet” who sprayed his followers with the insecticide to “cure” them of illnesses or diseases back in 2016 – to Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, who is currently on trial at the Port Elizabeth high court for rape and human trafficking after he allegedly groomed his victims and began abusing them from the age of 14. And most recently South Africans heard about the case of Pastor Alph Lukau who “resurrected” a man.
The latter incident took place earlier this week when a video went viral on social media after the Alleluia Ministries pastor claimed to be praying for a dead man whom he then “raised from death”.
“You can’t speak of moral regeneration when our religious leaders who are supposed to be leading and guiding us into moral regeneration are “raising people from the dead,” said Mkhwanazi-Xaluva.
Deputy chairperson of the commission, Professor David Mosoma, said that the intelligence of South Africans had been undermined for long enough.
“The assumption is that faith is blind but faith is reasonable, faith is rational. You can’t accept each and everything in the name of faith. Most of the time congregants of churches are not asking critical questions,” he said.
“The time has come for them [South Africans] to not be duped by these so called ‘fake prophets’ but to start interrogating things and people.”
It was the wayward behaviour of some churches and their leaders that led to the commission’s decision to investigate the commercialisation of religion and the abuse of people’s belief systems.
Stemming from the investigations were recommendations to licence and regulate religious practitioners and places of worship and a report was subsequently presented to the parliamentary portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta).
Cogta spokesperson Musa Zondi said that his department had received the report but did not comment on its contents.
“The Minister [Zweli Mkhize], who is also responsible for religious and linguistic affairs, has discussed the contents with the commission. The government supports the commission in its work but, like other chapter nine institutions, the commission maintains its independence which is respected by government,” he said.
However, according to Freedom of Religion South Africa executive director Michael Swain, the commission’s proposals were not considered.
“Cogta turned down the recommendations from the commission. The recommendations were not taken seriously,” he told City Press.
For Mkhwanzai-Xaluva the lack of state support was disappointing.
“Government should be doing more. The CRL is the only chapter nine institution in the country that has only one office. More should be done so we can also do more,” she said.”
Zondi said that his department did not dispute the issue of underfunding.
“The department of traditional affairs is also underfunded due to the fiscal challenges facing the country. If Cogta was able to, the budget would be increased immediately. The matter receives ongoing attention,” he said.
“Some ideas are being explored such as possibly sharing office space with other chapter nine institutions.”
Mkhwanzai-Xaluva said that religious practitioners must be held accountable.
“There must be regulation passed that will control religion. It is a profession. Just like nurses have a nursing council, religious leaders should also be monitored,” she said.
“They continue raping more women, while we dilly-dally, talk and argue about freedom of religion.”
Mkhwanzai-Xaluva said that some pastors did not just hurt people physically but emotionally and financially too.
“It’s the worst thing in the world. They take your money and rape your children,” she said.
But Swain said that regulating religion would be tantamount to giving the state control over the religious sector.
“This would keep the religious sector from having an independent voice and would be an infringement on people’s right to the freedom of religion. It is an anti-democratic and dangerous approach,” he said.
Swain told City Press that people should not fall prey to sensationalism.
“Those acts we have seen emerge of pastors ‘resurrecting’ people are not a representation of the majority of religious leaders or spaces,” he said.
“No one is saying spraying people with Doom should be allowed – it is wrong and criminal – but we should also realise that when the law is enforced it [the law] is effective. For instance, Omotoso is currently on trial for his crimes and the Doom pastor was convicted, all because the law was effective. Having the state regulate religion will add nothing.
Swain added that the religious community should be given the opportunity to come up with solutions.
“What the CRL chairperson is doing is undermining and disrespecting this community.”
With reference to Lukau, Mkhwanzai-Xaluva said that the commission would allow its investigation processes to take place.
“We will summon the relevant people that we need to talk to including the owners of the funeral parlour, where the body was supposedly kept and other parties related to the case, including the person’s family if needed,” she said.
Zondi corroborated this.
“The department will provide space to the commission to undertake that investigation because it should act independently,” he said.
Mkhwanzai-Xaluva told City Press that the commission should push to ensure the regulation of religious practitioners.
“If nothing else, I hope the commission will address this issue of churches, where religious spaces have become a crisis instead of a place of hope,” she said.
