Residents, Councillor furious over church gathering

A public gathering of over 1 000 members of the Shembe church’s Sandanezwe Temple in Bez Park left residents and the local councillor livid last week.

The religious gathering took place on Wednesday, allegedly with prior approval for only 200 people.

At the event, people sold cultural beads, church memorabilia and DVD’s. Livestock could be seen tied to the park fence and traffic at the entrance to the park was being directed by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and marshals from the Sandanezwe Temple.

Inside the park, a prayer meeting took place and in attendance was the church leader, referred to as uNyazilwezulu.

There were a number of male and female groups performing cultural dances.

Some residents in the area were unhappy about the public gathering.

“I walk my dog there everyday and I have lived in the area for 14 years. There is a lack of will to look after the park; it was in a shocking state. There is a sign in the park that clearly shows that church gatherings are not allowed in the park. Who gave them permission to gather there? They were cutting wood and making a fire. What are they going to do with that livestock?” asked the resident, who did not want to be named.

A reverend from the church said they had permission to be at the park. “A councillor came to notify us of her concerns. We showed her a letter granting permission, though I do not know about the time and the number of people who were meant to gather. People left after our leader left; we were not kicked out. We had gathered to pray for, among other things, a peaceful election,” said Mr NJ Dlomo, who is a preacher at the church.

Ward 118 Councillor, Clr Allison van der Molen, said she was deeply concerned regarding public safety during the event in her ward.

“There is a breakdown in communication between the JMPD and the City Parks events department and this has to be addressed. It seems that authorisation was given without due processes being followed to ensure that everyone is safe. I thank the elders of the Sandanezwe Temple for acknowledging this and I look forward to working with them in the future,” said Clr van der Molen.

She said churches are important in setting the tone of adhering to law and societal well-being. “I welcome their presence in my ward,” said Clr van der Molen.

Ms Jenny Moodley, the spokesperson for Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (CPZ), said the church approached the JMPD for permission.

“The JMPD could have given permission because it was for 200 people. This was subject to our approval as well. The application was submitted to us and permission was granted. Based on the application stating that the event was for 200 people, approval from the Joint Operations Centre was not needed. Applications for gatherings have to go to the Joint Operations Centre for approval if the event is for 500 people and more, or if it is a ‘high risk’ event,” said Ms Moodley.

She said permission was granted on the basis that the application said it was for 200 people.

“When we visited the park at about 3pm, there were just a few people seen leaving the facility already. We are however, mindful of the concerns raised by the councillor, about the number of people at the event and non-compliance, and will in future monitor events held by the church,” said Ms Moodley.

She said if there are transgressions, they can blacklist the group preventing them from using the facilities in the future.

“We can also stop the event immediately and there could be possible financial penalties based on the contraventions. If event organisers hires a facility, it is their prerogative if they want to have stalls. They must however, be in compliance with the City’s by-laws. People are not allowed to take livestock to our facilities. If there are transgressions, we and the SPCA can be contacted,” said Ms Moodley.