Congregants of the United Methodist Church of Southern Africa, which was struck by lightning last week, have resorted to different traditions of cleansing.
Lightning struck the Luzuko Society church hall at KuNgcesa village near Tsolo last Sunday, killing four congregants and seriously injuring four. About 40 others sustained slight injuries.
The incident triggered a robust religious debate on how to cleanse the site of tragedy.
Some said that it needed a traditional healer called ixhwele – a herbalist – to perform an African traditional ritual and treat those affected, while others believed in Christian cleansing including prayer and the sprinkling of holy water and oil.
The Tsomo circuit superintendent Reverend Zanoxolo Ngcephe, his wife Nomakula and daughter Sinethemba went to Christian faith healers, who treated them with holy water.
Nozisokolela Nkcitha-Ntshingilane, wife of popular herbalist Daliwonga Ntshingilane, who live next to the church, said since the incident they had treated more than 30 congregants.
Each received a traditional concoction “to clean their bowel system of the lighting bolt gas emission” and was smeared with traditional medicine called intelezi.
“It is a well-known practice among us black Africans that those who were inside a structure struck by lighting must be treated by an ixhwele and so must the structure. Believing in traditional medicine does not make one less of a Christian or believer of God, ,” said Nkcitha-Ntshingilane, who is one of the congregants.
Her daughter Anele, 40, was one of those injured.
Reverend Ngcephe said when chaos erupted in the church following the strike, he had to chase away Ntshingilane (the traditional healer) who had arrived unceremoniously and wanted to treat those injured with traditional medicine.
Ngcephe confirmed that he and his family were treated by a faith healer days after the incident.
“There was this pain which was so stubborn and I was limping badly and both my wife and our daughter were also complaining. We resorted to a faith healer, a bishop of the St Johns Church, who gave us holy water to cleanse our bowel system of the lightning gas emission,” said Ngcephe.
About cleansing the site, he said only Christian practice would be performed.
The church, in conjunction with Intsika Yethu local municipality, will tomorrow have a mass memorial service for the four deceased congregants – church warden Justice Dlabane, 76, Nozuko Ntozini 52, Noright Qhesha, 60 and Nophelo Mvikweni 56.
Their memorial service will be held in a tent near the church hall and is expected to be attended by various churches, mayor Jongumzi Cengani, traditional leaders and clergy starting at 10am.
Three of the deceased will be buried on Saturday in their respective areas and one on Sunday. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Tragedy triggers cleansing rituals
Lightning struck the Luzuko Society church hall at KuNgcesa village near Tsolo last Sunday, killing four congregants and seriously injuring four. About 40 others sustained slight injuries.
The incident triggered a robust religious debate on how to cleanse the site of tragedy.
Some said that it needed a traditional healer called ixhwele – a herbalist – to perform an African traditional ritual and treat those affected, while others believed in Christian cleansing including prayer and the sprinkling of holy water and oil.
The Tsomo circuit superintendent Reverend Zanoxolo Ngcephe, his wife Nomakula and daughter Sinethemba went to Christian faith healers, who treated them with holy water.
Nozisokolela Nkcitha-Ntshingilane, wife of popular herbalist Daliwonga Ntshingilane, who live next to the church, said since the incident they had treated more than 30 congregants.
Each received a traditional concoction “to clean their bowel system of the lighting bolt gas emission” and was smeared with traditional medicine called intelezi.
“It is a well-known practice among us black Africans that those who were inside a structure struck by lighting must be treated by an ixhwele and so must the structure. Believing in traditional medicine does not make one less of a Christian or believer of God, ,” said Nkcitha-Ntshingilane, who is one of the congregants.
Her daughter Anele, 40, was one of those injured.
Reverend Ngcephe said when chaos erupted in the church following the strike, he had to chase away Ntshingilane (the traditional healer) who had arrived unceremoniously and wanted to treat those injured with traditional medicine.
Ngcephe confirmed that he and his family were treated by a faith healer days after the incident.
“There was this pain which was so stubborn and I was limping badly and both my wife and our daughter were also complaining. We resorted to a faith healer, a bishop of the St Johns Church, who gave us holy water to cleanse our bowel system of the lightning gas emission,” said Ngcephe.
About cleansing the site, he said only Christian practice would be performed.
The church, in conjunction with Intsika Yethu local municipality, will tomorrow have a mass memorial service for the four deceased congregants – church warden Justice Dlabane, 76, Nozuko Ntozini 52, Noright Qhesha, 60 and Nophelo Mvikweni 56.
Their memorial service will be held in a tent near the church hall and is expected to be attended by various churches, mayor Jongumzi Cengani, traditional leaders and clergy starting at 10am.
Three of the deceased will be buried on Saturday in their respective areas and one on Sunday. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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