NEWS & ANALYSIS

Pulpit of pain!" - Daily Sun

The front page and lead story of SA's largest daily newspaper, July 2 2014

Daily Sun (July 2 2014) - JABULANI felt no fear when he was called to church to discuss his debt problem with the elders. He had no way of knowing about the humiliation and pain the people of God would allegedly hand out to him.

JABULANI AND HIS WIFE SAY THEY WERE STRIPPED, SHAMED AND MOERED RIGHT NEXT TO THE PULPIT!

Jabulani Nkani (40) and his wife Zanele Nyoni (39) were so insulted and hurt by the event they opened a case at Honeydew Police Station. When Jabulani, from Cosmo City, west of Joburg bought a Samsung computer tablet on credit from a friend, he had every intention of paying his R3 000 debt at the end of the month.

But when Sunday 29 June came around, Jabulani had not received his salary.

"My friend came to my place demanding his money," said Jabulani. "He told me he was going out of the country and wanted to be paid right there and then. But I didn't have the money and he left without saying a word." The next day he got a call from church members.

"They said I need to sort out my debt problem in front of the pastor, so my wife and I went to the church." But when they arrived they soon found out they were not going to have a friendly talk about his debt.

"The six church members attacked us and started beating us," said Jabulani.

"The pastor and the elders walked out of the building. They were laughing at what was happening to us."

He said they threw him on the floor.

"They tore my clothes off before they went on to my wife, stripping her naked next to the pulpit. All we had on was our underwear," said Jabulani.

"Then the members ran away with our belongings, including my wife's handbag."

He said he was embarrassed and ashamed about the incident.

"It was the worst experience of my life," he said.

Jabulani said two weeks ago he was beaten by thugs in the Joburg CBD and his wife came to visit him from Zimbabwe after she heard thugs had beaten him.

Zanele (39) said the church members beat her for nothing.

"I don't even use the tablet," she said.

"Now I can't go back home to Zimbabwe because I don't have my passport or my money," she said.

) Daily Sun spoke to pastor Ncube of the Apostolic Faith Mission yesterday but she couldn't comment about the allegations. She referred us to the church's bishop but he was not available.

The church's administrator Abed Nigo told Daily Sun they had in fact called Jabulani to church to ask him about his debts that he owes to other Christians, but he denied Jabulani and Zanele were beaten.

"Even God knows Jabulani is a liar," he said.

At the time of going to print no arrests had been made.

See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....

 

The Daily Sun is South Africa's largest daily newspaper with an average circulation of 297,614 (Audit Bureau of Circulations 4th Quarter 2013) and a readership of 5.7m (as per AMPS 2012ab). Its Facebook page can be accessed here. It can be followed on Twitter here. To find about advertising on the Daily Sun click here.

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