Chief Bhukhosini Dalasile and pastor Ofoma Omotoso stand next to the church building. Photo by Unathi Mshumpela
A church located in a small South African town is said to have been taken over by ghost which comes to trouble it at night.
According to Daily Sun SA, trouble started when the pastor of the
church was looking for land and the local chief offered him a sweet
deal; a hectare of land for only R200 (N4,457) and a bottle of brandy.
Even when the chief told him about the old grave right in the
middle of the piece of land in Zinjeni Village, near Coffee Bay, Eastern
Cape, the pastor didn’t hesitate. He believed the Holy Spirit would
protect the church.
But now the sweet deal has gone sour. A year after the church was
built, there have been reports of ghosts in the church at night.
The Pastor, identified as Ofoma Omotoso, 42, bought the site from
chief Bhukhosini Dalasile of the Amaqoco clan to open his Sliding Door
to Heaven Ministries.
“Villagers said the grave was of a sangoma (herbalist) who died in 1997,” Omotoso told Daily Sun. “I
am a powerful man of God. I built my church hall and performed a
cleansing ceremony to tell the sangoma’s spirit to voetsek in the name
of Jesus.”
But last week he received complaints of strange noises coming from
the church. On Saturday, he slept at a church member’s house and heard
the noises himself.
“First it’s Intlombe Yamagqirha (South African music) or gospel jazz,” said Omotoso. “Later
a woman’s voice starts speaking through a loudspeaker. I was too
terrified to go and investigate. I trust the Holy Spirit will deal with
the problem.”
Chief Bhukhosini said he told Omotoso to build his church away from the grave of the sangoma.
“Now the villagers think Omotoso brought evil from Nigeria but the trouble is with the angry spirit of the dead sangoma,” he said.
Villager Sibakhulu Ntase, 78, said building on top of a grave is an insult. “The church should be demolished,” said the madala.
Attempts to trace the sangoma’s family were unsuccessful.
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