18 Jan 2021

The Organisation of Africa Instituted Churches (OAIC) will not hold any conferences this year, and will instead meet through various committes to ensure business continues, says vice president of the organisation Bishop Robert Maluke.

 Speaking during a meeting of OAIC members at Nazareth Church in Bobonong, Bishop Maluke urged members to respect COVID-19 protocols while going about their church business.

Bishop Maluke urged churches to speak in one voice and pray against the pandemic, saying it had robbed many people of their lives.

The OAIC vice president urged committees with elapsing mandates to ensure that church affairs went on unabated during the pandemic.

He informed members that as a result of meeting with the presidential COVID-19 task team, churches were allowed 100 members from the proposed 300 following negotiations.

On other issues, the OAIC vice president expressed concern about escalating cases of drug peddling and abuse.

Bishop Maluke observed that drugs continued to rob Botswana of potential leaders. He also accused OAIC members of complicity in drug peddling and turning a blind eye at such social ills. The OAIC leader called on members to dissuade their neighbours and known drug pushers against the practice.

 Members were also encouraged to be patient but persistent in ensuring an end to drug peddling that births consequent abuse.

“Imagine being called to witness your child running mad while you expected them to complete their tertiary studies,” Bishop Maluke said. He called on members to help government in the fight against drug abuse.

He also called on members to transform into dependable people that could be trusted by community leaders.

For her part, district officer, Ms Motlhatlosi Tshoganetso informed the meeting that the district emergency operation team reported that over 100 people in Mathathane were in isolation.

She urged churches to pray for calm and for the situation to return to normal.

Ms Tshoganetso said her office faced a lot of conflicts that were birthed by COVID-19, adding that some of them they referred to churches for counselling and intervention.

She said where there were properly functioning churches peace lived, and that peace was ideal for habitation. She also noted that churches helped foster peace where there were conflicts between people. Ends