Some words from my Mother :
Paranoia seems to visit me, however, I am open to be corrected &/OR educated on the role of churches.
I find it strange that - the places we tend to go to in times of great distress, need are the same ones we need to avoid.
My point is I think they must start by sweeping their own backyards which happen to be the places of worship they represent. I am a Methodist and stay in the Eastern Cape - Tabankulu to be specific - my mission is Dumsi Circuit . I have been watching everything that is happening and have come to certain conclusions. Firstly, during the yesteryears Churches were secret places we had great respect for, but now they have become unjust places of business. In life people have been given ranks, positions and the like - the majority of people who happen to be rural face unbearable hardships. These are the people who are used as voting cattle and then left to fend for themselves thereafter - while those they elect go on to live opulent and nice lives.
We have pensioners and those whom do not have any form of income. My pain is brought forth by the situation the old people and the other people living on grants which they use for the necessities of life: food, kids, medication, stockvels, transportation , education and burials. Now there is this unspoken of truth which lingers in churches - how on earth do these places of worship find it acceptable to tax the aforementioned people. I call them taxes as if they are not paid to the church the people will be punished by the same churches. They do this by not burying you properly.
The numbers amount to R100 membership (tickets) every month, R150 quarterly for your damn uniform, for what they term ‘umanyano’ - which you buy with your own money and other taxes. How is this remotely just? When every cent is treasured by the people - how can the poor be expected to continue to bear such abuse and crassness? What further disgusts me is that when the time comes for the members of the church to be buried - these people (amakholwa come to sing, eat and leave - leaving 50cent in the plate for the family behind. Moreover, abafundisi (preachers) do not do a damn thing. What are these yearly taxes being used for? As we have to build our own churches on our own, we look for contributions to fund the buildings by ourselves. In my church we contribute sand, bricks, zinc, ...... - I mean everything!
Where does all the money the church go to? There are times where we have Inqunquthela a lot of money is contributed, meat, food as all of these are required. We also have to collect money for umfundisi (reverend) when he comes to the mission and when he leaves another round of collection is needed to say good bye.
I fail to understand what this abuse is for, why are the poorest of the poor treated in such a barbaric manner? What is the role of the churches? What I do know is that this will continue and our people will continue to suffer at the hands of these practices with no hope of shelter.