Joshua showers church victims’ families with cash
SWAKILE Ndlovu has nothing but praise for Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua.
His father, Mbongeni, was one of the 85 South Africans killed when a guesthouse at the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed in Nigeria in September last year.
Shortly afterwards, the church paid his family R50 000 towards the funeral and in December flew him, his mother and younger brother to Nigeria to meet Joshua. On their return, they were given R60 000.
Then, this month, Swakile was given an all-expenses-paid trip to Mexico City, where he was put up in a Radisson hotel for two weeks and given nearly R20 000 to spend while there. And once back in Johannesburg, Swakile was given a further R11 000.
The 25-year-old journalism student was one of 30 people taken to Mexico City to attend one of Joshua’s international crusades.
He said the money had helped enormously as his mother, Wanda, a teacher, was now having to look after him and his brother by herself. “TB Joshua is caring, he always wants to know how my family is coping or if we need anything.”
The money paid to his family had been used to help pay his and his brother’s school fees, said Swakile.
South African attorney Bally Chuene, a spokesman for the church, said Joshua had adopted the families of the victims of the tragedy. He had promised them they would want for nothing and the aim was to look after the family of every victim.
He said representatives of each of the 85 families affected had been invited to Mexico, but some had problems obtaining visas or with work commitments. As a result, only 30 went on the trip, but Chuene said two more trips were planned, one to Argentina and one to the US. The families who did not go to Mexico would be invited on either of those trips.
Chuene said the church had not added up the cost of providing for the families so far, but was considering establishing a budget to care for them in the long term.
He said the church and au- thorities in Nigeria were scheduled to give closing arguments when an inquiry into the disaster resumes by mid-June, before a report is finalised.
Mpho Mahlwele, who lost his mother, Kgomotso, in the collapse, said his family had now come to terms with her death.
“Every month the church visits my family with groceries.”
Like several other families, Mpho said the Mahlweles had not received any update about progress in the investigation.
“To be honest, we are not even keen on the update. We understand what happened to our mother and why it happened. We are a spiritual family and believe she died doing what she loves, praising God.”