LAND Party says Bishop Bheki Ngcobo should know better

The LAND Party is shocked that Bishop Bheki Ngcobo of the SA Zionist Church in Natal, is prepared to continue with Easter services and put millions of people’s lives at risk. Calling on his congregation to continue their Easter gatherings is completely irresponsible.

This one act could increase the infection of COVID-19 drastically in a short period of time putting many thousands more than his congregation in danger.

In the 14th Century, smallpox became know as the Black Death because men like Ngcobo took it upon themselves to tell people to do things in the name of God. They called for people to gather in their masses to pray for this disease that had people dropping like flies. It didn’t help. Every time people gathered en-masse to pray it caused mass infections and increased the death rate.

Bishop Ngcobo has no right to speak for God. He has no right to use his position to lead people into the valley of death. He suffers from the same affliction as many of our leaders, he doesn’t seem to learn lessons from past events. Should he not cancel his call for his church’s Easter gatherings to continue, he must be arrested as per the emergency laws gazetted on Monday.

He cannot expect the government to provide the necessary resources for his congregants to protect themselves against COVID-19 so they can attend the service. This is utter selfishness. Ngcobo needs to step up to the plate and join all the other religious leaders in abiding by the rules set out by President Ramaphosa.

The one sensible issue the Bishop raised was that of the mineworkers continuing to work. However, instead of saying to the government that his people will gather for Easter because the miners are still being made to work, he should rather be setting an example and getting his congregation to pressurise the government to stop miners from working at this time.

We urge all members of his congregation to please think very carefully before heeding Bishop Ngcobe’s call.

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