By Charles Tjatindi
WINDHOEK
A pastor from an apostolic church in Katutura’s Goreangab residential area whom community members blame for causing a fire that burnt members of his congregation, has dismissed all claims levelled against him as being untrue.
Pastor Ewaldt Mukungu, an archbishop and head of the St Abel Apostolic Healing Church in Goreangab residential area, disputed community members’ account of events concerning a fire that broke out at his church last week Thursday.
Community members had claimed that Mukungu allegedly poured methylated spirits onto the fire that was lit inside the church as part of a healing ritual, causing flames to burn some members of the congregation.
Although Mukungu admitted that some members of his congregation, and a few others who were visiting from another church in Katutura were burned, he refuted the community members’ version of events on the fateful day. He noted that the fire was not lit inside the church as claimed by certain members of the community, but outside. He also denied having inflamed the fire by pouring methylated spirits onto it.
“How does a grown-up do that, knowing the consequences arising from it?” asked Mukungu.
“As an elder member of the congregation, I am not even supposed to touch the fire. What’s more, the fire for preparing sacrifices can also not be started by me.”
The pastor’s version of events is that candle wax must have fallen onto an open container of methylated spirits, which was placed just below the candleholders. He said this container is normally kept inside the church to assist in lighting the fire outside, especially when it rains and the wood is moist.
“The boys who made the fire must have wrongly placed the container there, which resulted in the whole thing,” said the pastor.
According to the pastor, congregation members, who at the time were down on their knees in prayer rituals, started panicking when they saw the flames, and started tossing the flaming methylated container around the church.
Although the pastor could not say how many people were burned in the process, New Era learnt that about five people are reported to have suffered burns to various parts of their bodies.
Two of them, one Eben Tjinjeka and another unidentified woman, are reported to have sustained the most severe injuries during the blaze.
Tjinjeka sustained burn wounds to both legs, while the unidentified woman is said to have suffered injuries to her thighs. Both the woman and Tjinjeka are still in hospital, where they are receiving medical treatment.
Another victim of the fire, Kapuirire Hambira, who was among a group of seven people visiting the St Abel Apostolic Healing Church for the sacrifice ceremony, confirmed the pastor’s version of events, although he initially indicated that he was not present inside the church when the fire started.
Despite this version of events however, community members are adamant that the pastor is to blame, as these churches have apparently been carrying out dangerous rituals.
Said one community member who asked not to be named: “This people do it all the time. They just use funny ways to heal their people.”
Mukungu however maintained that his church would never harm anyone intentionally. He said he enjoys a wide following and has always done what is expected of him.
“People just have personal issues against churches like ours. They should come and observe for themselves what we do here,” he said.