Insults, death threats for bling pastor's critic

Hell hath no fury like the followers of a prophet scorned. A Johannesburg publisher and his family have received death threats after badmouthing Pastor Alph Lukau on social media.

Lukau, head of Alleluia Ministries International and a self-proclaimed billionaire, made headlines last September when he charged up to R5,000 per person for an all-night prayer vigil for single women at Gallagher Convention Centre. He guaranteed they would find true love within three months.

He has also held prayer sessions with President Jacob Zuma, his wife Bongi Ngema and daughter Duduzile.

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Solomon Izang Ashoms, who publishes a Christian magazine called Parable, and his wife, Nomathamsanqa, say they were intimidated by Lukau's employees at a police station, fielded more than 40 threatening calls and had 10 men camping outside their townhouse complex, threatening to "teach him a lesson".

Ashoms' sin was posting a photo on Facebook of Lukau in a red Ferrari, with the comment: "He just bought a new Ferrari while you are still single without your money nor your husband. Business is good for him."

He called Lukau a false prophet and said anyone who believed in him was either "a baby Christian, brainwashed or hypnotised".

The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural Religious and Linguistic Communities has questioned Lukau's methods, saying pastors who charge an entrance fee for a religious event are commercialising religion.

Last week, Nomathamsanqa Ashoms got a call from a man - whom she assumed was a police officer - ordering her to go to the Sandton police station. When the couple arrived, they were ushered into an office with three men and a police officer.

The men asked several questions, including their address and phone number. They told them to stop writing negative things about their "leader".

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The next day the couple were inundated with calls from as far as Namibia, Zambia and remote parts of South Africa insulting and threatening their family.

In one recorded call, a woman calling herself Nthabiseng and claiming to be a member of AMI threatened to harm Nomathamsanqa and the couple's two-year-old son if Ashoms did not leave "our father" alone.

"If you can't we will attack you and your son," she said. She then told Ashoms: "Your wife and your boy won't be sleeping next to you tonight."

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That night, 10 men dressed in black suits arrived at their complex in Sunninghill. Guards did not allow them to enter so they stood outside for three hours.

Joseph Mkhare, a security guard at the complex, said the men were angry and shouting for Ashoms to come outside.

"They kept telling me they want to teach him a lesson."

Ashoms has filed a complaint of intimidation with the police. As he didn't want to live in fear, he had taken precautions to make sure his family were safe.

"I've asked security at the complex to be extra vigilant. I've briefed teachers at my boy's school not to allow anyone else to pick him up. When I drive, I check I'm not being followed.

"Because I am a Nigerian, one caller accused me of being a drug trafficker and said I should go back to my country and fight Boko Haram.

"If I was in this alone it would be a different story, but now they are bringing my pregnant wife and my boy into this."

Lukau cancelled an appointment with Sunday Times this week, but Alleluia Ministries International director John Ferguson said Ashoms had made allegations that the church was a cult, had mysterious deaths and that Lukau was a thief, liar and serial adulterer who had satanic powers.

"Not one of the allegations is backed by any facts." Ferguson said the church was taking legal action against Ashoms, and that the Ferrari in the Facebook post belonged to a friend.

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Since September, the church had conducted 96 weddings, 270 of women at the vigil had formalised their marriages as lobola had been paid, and there were more than 200 engagements and 2000 new relationships, he said.

Constable David Mothapo said police were investigating a case of intimidation.