TB Joshua misses his big bash
NO expense was spared for Pastor TB Joshua’s R4-million birthday bash at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on Friday night.
A star-studded line-up including opera singer Kimmy Skota, American gospel singer VaShawn Mitchell and awardwinning musician Loyiso Bala, who entertained the 2 500 guests.
The pastor did not attend the event.
Among those invited were family members of the 85 South Africans who were killed when a guesthouse of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Nigeria collapsed last year, as well as 27 survivors of the tragedy.
The church paid the transport and accommodation costs for the survivors and families.
Guests were each given a bottle of Joshua’s anointed water.
A glossy magazine in memory of the 116 people who died in the collapse was handed out.
Other guests travelled at their own cost from several African countries, including Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Swaziland and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to wish Joshua well on his 52nd birthday.
Mother of two Lindiwe Ndwandwe, who was trapped under the rubble of the building for five days, said she was completing a novel on her ordeal, to be titled Miracle.
Ndwandwe, who is pregnant, said she started writing the book in January.
“My book is about how to persevere in life; how to put your trust in God. I went thirsty and hungry for five days and with all the rubble on top of me, I could barely manage to breathe.”
Sambulo Myeni, who lost his younger brother, Phumlani, 28, in the tragedy, said Joshua’s birthday was “a celebration of love”.
The former head of the South African Football Association, Kirsten Nematandani, said in his capacity as spokesman for the church that the hosting of a birthday bash in South Africa had been Joshua’s idea.
“This was the best way of bringing everybody together, the families of the martyrs and the survivors.
“If the man of God has to spend this much and he’s not here, it merely tells you that he says: ‘You have an A-rated function because you are important to me as my family.’ ”
He said that by Friday, Joshua had received birthday greetings from more than two million people around the world.
Victor Mditshwa, the director of consular services in the Department of International Relations, who was invited in his private capacity, said the event had helped to bring all the people of Africa together.
“I see it as a contribution in terms of normalising the situation in this country in terms of the uncomfortable conflicts that have occurred between Africans themselves.”
Mditshwa was the official to break the news to families of the first confirmed deaths last year.
On Friday, he brought the crowd to its feet when he spoke glowingly of Joshua and wished him a happy birthday.
He told the Sunday Times that Joshua was free to visit South Africa whenever he wished. Comment on this: write to tellus@sundaytimes.co.za or SMS us at 33971 www.timeslive.co.za A SIGN: An enthusiastic church member sends birthday wishes to Pastor TB Joshua at a banquet held at Gallagher Convention Centre in Gauteng to celebrate the 52nd birthday of the man believed by his followers to be a prophet
This was the best way of bringing the families and survivors together