Kgosi Banishes Church Of God In Kgatleng

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Monday April 19, 2010 00:00

 

After two of the church's pastors were flogged by a Kgatla regiment two weeks ago, the Pentecostal church was eventually closed down on Sunday by a delegation of royals led by Kgosi Sekai and Kgosi Kgafela's personal assistant, Bagopi Linchwe, the church confirmed yesterday.

Kgosi Sekai told The Monitor yesterday that the local pastor's stubbornness and arrogance was to blame for the closure, especially after the pastor ignored warnings that she should not continue holding church services at the school until she met the Kgosikgolo.

'We had sent a message through the school leadership to the effect that the church should not continue gathering there until pastor Malebogo met Kgosi Kgafela which she did not, so we went ahead and closed the church down indefinitely.

'Until the church has met the Kgosi, they won't be able to hold a church service anywhere in Kgatleng,' Sekai announced.

He said the Kgosi will not be available for a meeting until after two weeks. Sekai said Kgafela II is conducting a two-weeks' workshop for Dikgosi and he won't be available to meet the church representatives until he has finished.

Sekai describes the local pastor as a rebel, saying she has gone against the bye-laws as well as established tribal custom. 'We sent messages asking her to come and explain why they do not want to cooperate with the tribe'.

Sekai said after ignoring several calls from the Kgosikgolo, Kgafela then ordered the church to be closed until they come to explain why they continue to rebel against the tribe.

The Monitor learnt that scores of church members who normally gather at Linchwe Primary School had to be ferried to the Gaborone church branch for fellowship yesterday.

Phikwe-based pastor and executive member of the church, Godfrey Mbaiwa, said yesterday that the church was closed down indefinitely and they were instructed not to operate in Mochudi or anywhere in the Kgatleng District.

Mbaiwa was sent to Mochudi from Phikwe to assess the situation.

He says: 'It was around 9am when a delegation of about 12 men came to our church and insisted that they hold a meeting with us in the same classroom that we use to worship. We requested that the meeting be held at a different venue but they insisted that we hold it in the classroom.

'They told us that from today until the time our bishop meets with Kgosi, we should not hold church services in Mochudi or anywhere in Kgatleng [District],' said pastor Mbaiwa.

'We tried to reason that they do not have the powers to close down our church unless they caused the bye-law enforcers to do that. We told them that we are covered by the constitution of the country and that freedom of worship is enshrined in our constitution but they said we were arrogant and that we think we know the Bible too much,' Mbaiwa told The Monitor.

He said eventually the congregation found it better to disperse and move to Gaborone.

Francistown-based bishop, Seamogetswe Keoleletse, confirmed that he has been notified about the sudden banning of his church in Mochudi and Kgatleng [District].