By Buziwe Nocuze
A pastor from St John’s church in Mfuleni township, Cape Town, was shot and killed by men who asked him to pray for them.
An anonymous resident who was in the church when the pastor was shot said the men approached the pastor after he had earlier dealt with a group of people who needed his assistance.
He said the pastor was very helpful and always willing to assist anyone in need without asking questions.
“He not only assisted church members but also residents who don’t attend his church,” said the resident.
The pastor was shot immediately after praying for the men at around 7pm on Friday.
Resident Phumeza Dyamdeki said she couldn’t believe the news.
“When I first heard about it, I thought they were joking,” she said.
Phumeza, although not a regular member of the church, said she was worried about the killings at St John’s and remembered an incident last month where a couple, both St John’s church leaders, were killed in Langa.
“The killings that are happening at the church are worrying,” she said.
The dead pastor’s family said they were not ready to speak to the media.
Western Cape SAPS spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that Mfuleni police had opened a murder case and that police were hunting for the suspects who had fled the scene.
Using religion for crime is not new in South Africa; in April last year a mass killing of 10 family members in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, was linked to a cleansing ritual involving a traditional healer.
Pictured above: A church.
Source: Stock
