Snake pastor’s church burnt down
Pretoria residents on Sunday burned down a church belonging to a pastor who recently made the news in South Africa for making congregants eat rats and snakes.
The Julius Malema-led Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) joined up with Soshanguve and angry residents visited the church in Shoshanguve, a township situated about 25 km north of Pretoria.
Pastor Penuel Mnguni has made headlines in recent weeks for feeding his congregants snakes and rats saying it was for deliverance.
Pastor Penuel, who is also known for stomping on his congregation as well as making them strip naked as part of his healing method, was nowhere to be seen when the EFF and residents visited the tent where his church meets for their services.
“Residents and members of EFF were enraged when a man on the podium continued with the services while they were inquiring about the whereabouts of the pastor,” an eye witness said.
They then decided to burn down the tent where the church service is normally held and within minutes, the tent was set alight.
There was also an exchange of blows between congregants and residents before police officers arrived to calm down the situation.
BIZARRE PRACTICES
The EFF in Gauteng has vowed to force Mnguni to taste his own medicine by forcing him to eat the snakes and rats he has been feeding.
Just two days ago, the South African Council of Churches (SACC) said it was concerned at practices of some churches.
SACC convened a meeting on Thursday to discuss the practices and ‘the escalation of the bizarre practices of some pastors in the name of Christ’.
SACC acting general secretary Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana said they had written to the Human Rights Commission to launch a probe into the churches.
“The SACC has received numerous complaints and calls from exasperated people for intervention regarding certain unconventional practices by some pastors. This follows reports and video clips that tell of goings on in churches in Soshanguve, where Pastor Lesego Daniels, of Rabboni Ministries and his protege Pastor Penuel Mnguni of The End Times of Ministries are said to be making devotees drink petrol, eat grass, eat snakes and rats in the name of salvation in Christ,” Bishop Mpumlwana said.