Churches should be regulated: CRL

11 October 2016 - 14:09 By Sibongile Mashaba
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File photo.
File photo.
Image: Gallo Images/iStockphoto

Churches must be regulated‚ the commission which probed the commercialisation of religion and abuse of people’s belief systems has recommended.

Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural‚ Religious‚ and Linguistic Rights Communities chairwoman Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva released a report on the investigative study into rogue pastors and traditional healers in Braamfontein‚ Johannesburg on Tuesday.

Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said there was evidence that churches were commercialising religion.

She said there was additional evidence of adverse non-compliance.

“Umbrella organisations must be given more powers. They must have authority‚ manage and monitor its members...” Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said.

“When the umbrella body cannot deal with a member‚ then the mechanisms will kick in where peers will look into the matter.”

She said there would be no state intervention in the religious and traditional healers’ sectors.

She said the commission was at a stage where they were doing consultations‚ and added that it has been in talks with the Law Reform Commission and the Department of Justice.

In August last year‚ the commission launched the study and nearly 40 church leaders were summoned to appear before it in Gauteng alone.

The commission visited all nine provinces‚ speaking to traditional healers and religious leaders.

Last year‚ the commission undertook the investigative study following an exposé into a Pretoria church where people were fed snakes.

Among the church leaders who appeared before the commission was the “snake pastor”‚ Penuel Mnguni‚ who also fed his followers hair‚ cloths‚ rats‚ ants and carpet.

His close friend‚ Pastor Lesego Daniels‚ who is known for feeding people grass‚ leaves and petrol‚ also appeared. The pair told the commission that they were instructed by God to feed people all these things‚ and added that that no one had died.

Mnguni was kicked out of Pretoria and started operating in Siyabuswa‚ Mpumalanga‚ where he took the “demonstration of the power of God” to the extreme and allegedly drove a car over two congregants. He claimed they did not suffer any injuries and were alive.

- TMG Digital/Sowetan

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