Lekganyane preaches against heretics

LERATO MALEKE
Correspondent | Thursday April 11, 2013 00:00

Botswana has the second largest ZCC following after South Africa where the citadel of the denomination is located at Moria or Zion City in the country's Limpopo Province. Millions of ZCC adherents, including thousands - mainly poor - from Botswana trek to Moria on pilgrimage every year at Easter, in September and over Christmas.

It is not the first time Bishop Lekhanyane has criticised the so-called heretical churches. In Mochudi, the main ZCC congregation nearly collapsed in 2009 when one Black Ramontsho broke away and established his own church in his backyard.Bakgatla sovereign Kgosi Kgafela Kgafela had to intervene in the midst of allegations that Ramontsho was preparing dangerous concoctions for his followers. Most of the 'heretics' eventually returned to the fold at Boseja. In his Easter sermon this year, Bishop Lekhanyane told the 11 million strong pilgrims that he would excommunicate members for pussyfooting with heretics.

He said he was concerned that because of this pussyfooting by some members, ZCC was often blamed when people died after taking dangerous concoctions prepared by 'power hungry' heretics. Most heretics who broke away to form phoney churches were people who had failed to adhere to the strict moral code and regulations of the church, he said.

Bishop Lekhanyane appealed to his followers to be ZCC in and out and to refrain from committing crime. He urged parents, especially single mothers, to take care of their children and husbands to love their wives and care for their families.