DURBAN – The City of Tshwane yesterday said it bears no resentment to the Shepherd Bushiri-led Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church, and that a safety campaign is aimed at safeguarding the security of the thousands who throng the charismatic preacher’s services.
Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga’s spokesperson Sam Mgobozi was responding to the ANC Youth League, which accused the city administration of “unfairly targeting a church led by a black person and attended by mostly black people”
“We bear no ill will to the prophet (Bushiri) and his church, but we want to ensure safety – a common interest between the church and the city. This is obviously not a concern shared by the ANC who is blinded by its singular and narrow-minded dislike of the mayor,” Mgobozi told the African News Agency.
Mgobozi said the ANC’s assertions are “deeply disturbing and not in the interests of ensuring that the church is brought up to code following an in-loco inspection” conducted at the ECG’s rented premises last week. “At no point did the city dispute any permissions granted to the church. The city maintains that as at last week when the inspection was done, we made some concerning observations which we are optimistic the church will address to ensure that we do everything possible to ensure we prevent the loss of life and limb,” said Mgobozi.
“The ANC is politicising the deaths of the congregants it claims to be acting on behalf of. It is cheap, insensitive and devoid of class or any moral leadership.”
Three female congregants died at the ECG on December 28 during a reported stampede while running for cover during a rain storm. A case of defeating the ends of justice has been opened, relating to the removal of the bodies from the church premises.
On Monday, the ANCYL Tshwane regional chairperson Lesego Makhubela said Msimanga deliberately lied in the aftermath of the church stampede when he said the premises of the ECG church was non-compliant with fire and emergency by-laws.
“Mr Msimanga lied to the people in a press statement that the building used by the ECG church is non-compliant with regulations. We have proof in the form of a (compliance) certificate that was handed over to the church by city officials,” said Makhubela.
“The certificate gave the church permission to host an event on December 31.
“The ANC Youth League is disgusted by these lies and views this as opportunistic, senseless and insensitive to the families that lost their loved ones during a stampede at that church.”
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