20 Jun 2013

Mushrooming of churches that use open spaces as well as residential areas pose a health hazard.

Members relieve themselves in bushes because of lack of sanitation facilities. Addressing members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi  during a recent workshop, the department of environment and occupational division principal health officer, Mr Motlogelwa Diswai said some of these churches used congested buildings without adequate ventilation, which could lead to airborne diseases.

He said quite often they bathed in ponds and rivers, using chemicals and at the same time drink the same water for ritual purposes. Mr Diswai said some people had suffered from diarrhoea due to the intake of such contaminated water adding that the water also posed a danger to livestock. 

He also condemned ritual practices practised by some churches whereby they isolated sick people to places they referred to as sacred, promising them good recovery and health. Mr Diswai also raised concerns that these churches charged patients huge amounts of money, up to P2 000 per patient and also forced them to abandon drugs from clinics and hospitals.

He however pleaded with Dikgosi to work with relevant authorities to evict those churches. Of late, he added, 30 churches of that kind were banned in Sowa Township while about 27 in the Chobe area were taken to court.

Mr Diswai also requested dikgosi to advise their communities desist from worshipping in open spaces without toilets or water. Ntlo ya Dikgosi chairperson, Kgosi Puso advised officers to familiarise themselves with the 2008 social values report, which he said recommended that the registration of churches policy should be reviewed.

Kgosi Puso said under the policy, 10 people could form a church, a situation which caused concern and led to the proliferation of churches, hence the need to review the policy.   ENDS