“I did beat those children. I was disciplining them in terms of the church’s constitution.”
This was told to the Dispatch by gospel singer Tsidi Spampool, the controversial leader of the Endumisweni Faith Mission church.
She was speaking after a meeting with MEC Pumza Dyantyi at the church premises in Mdantsane on Tuesday.
The MEC was there to investigate claims of beatings and coercive sex allegations.
Dyantyi said more claims of abuse had been made by former congregants who approached her department.
Dyanti said Spampool had told her that parents had given the church permission to “discipline” their unruly and underage youths at church and this included beatings.
However, the MEC was unconvinced and announced that the police and her department would conduct a thorough investigation.
Dyantyi also discovered that the church was unlawfully keeping underage children at its NU8 premises.
Dyantyi said she would be investigating the background story of the underage children she found at the church. She did not believe the children were there in terms of an acceptable arrangement.
“I want to look at the children that are underage here. There are three children underage, some are at school.
“We want their addresses so we can access their homes and see what led to them being brought here. The church has not followed correct procedures, keeping the children here,” she said.
Dyantyi also visited two girls who were apparently being assaulted by Spampool in a video that went viral.
“She [Spampool] alleges that she was given permission by the parents of the children to do that. The matter has been reported to police for further investigations before criminal charges can be laid.”
She said the matter had been reported to Eastern Cape safety & liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana and a police case would be opened once investigations were completed.
“I personally reported to MEC Tikana. Police are aware of it. People who have been abused at the church are coming to our offices. We are doing our investigations as social development and we will definitely open a case as soon as we get enough information.”
Dyanti added: “We want to get to the root of this. We have to get to the parents she is talking about. We do not understand how a parent can allow this. It is against the law.”
Spampool, talking the Dispatch for the first time since the story broke on Monday, said she would let the law take its course if the church, which was founded by her mother in 1975, was to be closed down.
“It is not my call to make whether the church should close or not. It is up to society.
“The law must take its course. But I did beat those children. I was disciplining them in terms of the church’s constitution.”
Asked about claims of women congregants being given to men for sex and of arranged marriages, she denied the first allegation of women being given to men for sex.
But she said the practice of arranged marriages had been a part of the church’s tradition. “This is a church of direction. When you join, you are told the church rules and we tell the children who they need to marry in future, and if they do not want the person they have a right to say they do not want the guy.”
She said there were many success stories from her arranged marriages. “The girls’ parents were also brought together by me and they are still married. When I show them the potential husbands I also show them examples of successful marriages.”
She denied defrauding congregants of their money, saying it was tithing which helped pay for church programmes and her salary. “The church asks for 10% tithing. If a person does not have it then they can say so.
“People who are not members of this church will never know how we operate.”
She said money collected from members was used to pay for children’s schooling needs. “I do not work and I get my salary from their tithes. And that’s the same salary I use to help the kids to go to school with. Everyone in this community knows what our church has done and they know the truth.”
Tikana said the allegations made by the former congregants would be given the attention that they deserved.
“These allegations are extremely disturbing, especially when institutions that are meant to offer a safe haven and provide a moral compass for our communities get accused of grossly violating the same things they are meant to uphold. However, I have full confidence in our law enforcement officers to handle this matter with the sensitivity and the care it deserves.”..