Expose religious charlatans

YESTERDAY, the so-called “Doom Pastor” Lethebo Rabalago, who gained infamy by spraying insecticide on the faces of his followers, was sentenced to a fine of R21 000.

The sentence against Rabalago was handed down at the Mookgopong Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo.

The 25-year-old leader of the Mount Zion General Assembly had claimed that Doom cures the ailments of his sick congregants.

Magistrate Frans Mahodi sentenced Rabalago to one year in jail or a fine of R6 000 for contravening the Stock and Agricultural Remedies Act 36 of 1947.

The self-proclaimed prophet was also handed a three-year sentence or a fine of R30 000 for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. But half of the latter fine was suspended by the court.

So ridiculous were some of Rabalago’s claims – he wrote on his website that he also uses grass and petrol to heal his congregants.

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to know that petrol and insecticides are harmful and should not be ingested. In the case of Doom – the can even carries a warning that it should not come into contact with the skin, yet Rabalago would spray it directly onto the faces of his followers.

As tempting as it may be to regard his followers as gullible, the reality is that the likes of Rabalago and his ilk prey on desperate and poor people – promising them miracles while robbing them of their last penny.

Last year, the High Court in Limpopo had already ordered Rabalago to stop using Doom on his congregants.

While yesterday’s ruling by Mahodi may seem lenient, it will surely send a message to other so-called “pastors” who mislead the poor.

The Doom pastor story also comes as the community of the Eastern Cape is still coming to terms with the shocking revelations coming out of Ngcobo – following the massacre of five policemen and a retired soldier last week. At the centre of that atrocity is yet another controversial church, the Mancoba Seven Angels Ministry which, besides its cult-like practices and illegal acts, also turned out to be harbouring criminals. This was revealed when police stormed the church on Friday night and killed suspects and also recovered some of the weapons stolen during the Ngcobo Police Station robbery. Some of the church’s practises include barring children from attending school, which is against the law, and also denying them identity documents.

There have been growing calls for the closure of the church. The police must also dig deeper and find out what other violent crimes the Mancoba brothers may have committed. Clearly the church is a front for criminal activities. This goes for other charismatic churches which have sprung up everywhere. The time has come for authorities to scrutinise the religious sector, including their finances. The likes of Rabalago and the Mancobas give religion a bad name.

If they are allowed to continue, they could taint other reputable and legitimate churches which continue to do good among their communities.