The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities in South Africa has begin probing fake pastors around the country.
ADVERTISEMENT
One of the pastors expected to defend themselves is Pastor Lesego Daniel of Rabboni Centre Ministries who made members of his congregation drink petrol. He was subpoenaed by the CLR Rights Commission as it begins its investigation into church leaders taking advantage of communities.
He claimed he could turn petrol to pineapple juice then proceeded to encourage the church members to drink fuel. The first demonstrator is then asked by the pastor how he felt, and in response he coughs before saying: “It has a lot of fumes but I don’t have any side effects.” Daniel then went on to feed the drink to other members.
Another infamous one, Penuel Mnguni will also appear before the commission to explain feeding live rats and snakes to his congregations.
ADVERTISEMENT
The commission, in August, launch a study into the commercialisation of religion.
Chairperson of the commission, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, said the investigation would look at the abuse of people's belief systems in terms of when these institutions are being run, how they are being run, where their funding is going, who collects the cash and what is done with the money.
The probe is as a result of complaints by South African Council of Churches against some pastors who made members of their congregations eat grass, snakes and drink petrol.
Medically speaking, petrol can be very harmful if swallowed or inhaled.
Symptoms can include breathing difficulty, swelling of the throat, pain, loss of vision, abdominal pain, vomiting, low blood pressure, convulsions, dizziness, and seizures.
