Charmaine Senoni
For a good three days they fasted while praying naked, together with their kids, as they awaited the return of Jesus Christ.
But Jesus did not return. Instead the police came knocking and arrested the church members.
This happened at a church meeting hosted at the pastor’s house in Sondela outside Rustenburg; North West.
The only individual who was found wearing clothes was the pastor.
Six church members, including their 34-year-old female leader, were arrested after community members alerted police of suspicious activities taking place in the house.
The pastor was taken to a psychiatric hospital for mental observation after she tried to burn the house down during the arrest.
One church member who did not want to be named said she joined the church a few weeks ago as she was seeking healing for her sick husband.
“I did not hesitate to join the church when the pastor, who’s my neighbour, invited me, promising to heal my husband. Three of my children also joined.”
She said things turned sour on Wednesday, 1 June when they had an all night prayer meeting.
The pastor allegedly instructed them to take off their clothes because she had a vision that Jesus Christ was coming back.
The woman said they were locked in the house for three days without food before they were rescued by police on Friday.
“She became so aggressive that we got scared. She locked the house and told us to use buckets instead of the outside toilet.”
North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said all the children between the ages of four to 12, who were also naked, were removed from the house and handed to social workers for intervention, and ultimately placed under the care of other family members.
The six accused were remanded in custody until Monday, 13 June 2022 and will re-appear in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court for contravention of the Sexual Offences Act.
The investigation into the matter continues.
