Johannesburg - Followers of controversial church leaders made donations shortly after their religious leaders met with the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) on Tuesday afternoon.
Archbishop Stephen Zondo of the Rivers of the Living Waters and Pastor Lesego Daniel of the Rabboni Centre Ministry told thousands of their followers that they needed to make donations to the church. This would in turn give them blessings.
Zondo then asked his followers to form a line and make donations. Some of the Rivers of the Living Waters members had travelled in buses from as far as the Eastern Cape, Zondo said.
The two religious leaders, along with Prophet Paseka Motsoeneng, had just appeared before the CRL Rights Commission.
The commission had summoned the three religious leaders as part of an investigation into their religious practices and to peruse their financial statements.
Commission head Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva told the media that this was all part of an investigative study into the commercialisation of religion.
Addressing his followers, Daniel said he stood behind his decision to make his followers eat grass. The thousands in attendance cheered when he said: "Did anyone die? Did anyone go to hospital? All those who complain and talk are not there."
Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said they were in hot pursuit of End Times Disciples Ministries Pastor Penuel Mnguni to hand him a summons to appear before the commission.
Mnguni is controversially known for making his congregants eat snakes.
"If anyone knows his whereabouts, they must please come to our office because we need to hand him his summons. We do not have a known address of his and he seems to have disappeared," Mkhwanazi-Xaluva told the media.
Warning Mnguni, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said refusing to appear before the commission could result in a one-year prison sentence.
Daniel would appear again before the commission on November 14 to hand over his financial statements.
News24
Donate and get blessings - controversial pastors
Johannesburg - Followers of controversial church leaders made donations shortly after their religious leaders met with the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) on Tuesday afternoon.
Archbishop Stephen Zondo of the Rivers of the Living Waters and Pastor Lesego Daniel of the Rabboni Centre Ministry told thousands of their followers that they needed to make donations to the church. This would in turn give them blessings.
Zondo then asked his followers to form a line and make donations. Some of the Rivers of the Living Waters members had travelled in buses from as far as the Eastern Cape, Zondo said.
The two religious leaders, along with Prophet Paseka Motsoeneng, had just appeared before the CRL Rights Commission.
The commission had summoned the three religious leaders as part of an investigation into their religious practices and to peruse their financial statements.
Commission head Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva told the media that this was all part of an investigative study into the commercialisation of religion.
Addressing his followers, Daniel said he stood behind his decision to make his followers eat grass. The thousands in attendance cheered when he said: "Did anyone die? Did anyone go to hospital? All those who complain and talk are not there."
Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said they were in hot pursuit of End Times Disciples Ministries Pastor Penuel Mnguni to hand him a summons to appear before the commission.
Mnguni is controversially known for making his congregants eat snakes.
"If anyone knows his whereabouts, they must please come to our office because we need to hand him his summons. We do not have a known address of his and he seems to have disappeared," Mkhwanazi-Xaluva told the media.
Warning Mnguni, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said refusing to appear before the commission could result in a one-year prison sentence.
Daniel would appear again before the commission on November 14 to hand over his financial statements.
News24
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