The University of Johannesburg will on Thursday host a discussion on the role of churches regarding fighting corruption in the country.
The university said the discussion will look into what is the role of churches in fighting corruption and why churches are silent against corrupt politicians.
This follows reports of various forms of corrupt and abusive behavior in different churches.
The university highlighted a 2014 incident in Rabboni Ministries, where the church leader Prophet Daniel told people to eat grass and drink petrol as a sign of their faith in God.
“Seven Angels Church ministers were convicted in 2018 of murdering a congregant and abusing other members. In 2018, Cheryl Zondi made headlines when she testified against tele-evangelist Pastor Omotoso alleging that he had raped her while she was a member of his church,” said the university.
The university also touched on Shepherd Bushiri, who was charged for embezzling church funds in a case that began in 2018.
Bushiri founded the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church in South Africa. The church also has branches in Malawi, Ghana, South Sudan and other countries.
He has also been accused of raping two women from his church. However, he claimed that the women were trying to extort money from him.
“In the last ten years many academic articles have been written that tell how church members lost all their savings to a church leader they believed would ensure they received miraculous amounts of money and instant prosperity,” said the university.
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