MBOMBELA – The agony and pain he endured under the rubble after TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan) collapsed on him has not shaken him, instead the whole ordeal has strengthened and lifted his faith.
Mr Petrus Sandleni, a KaMagugu resident, was among 131 people pulled from the remains of the guesthouse which collapsed on September 12, claiming the lives of
85 South Africans.
In an interview with Mpumalanga News, this Christian devotee lambasted the media for their negative comments about the “Prophet of God”, saying they should stop speculating and discover the real issue behind the incident.
“People can not compare TB Joshua with the likes of Nongqawuse, those were false prophets but here we are talking about an anointed man of God,” he said.
Still visibly traumatised by the experience, Sandleni related his nightmare to the paper.
“I arrived in Lagos on Thursday, September 11 and on the Friday after the morning service we went for lunch at the guest house and while waiting for my turn to get food, I saw a huge crack appearing horizontally through the wall.
Things then happened so fast and before I knew it, it went dark and I felt something on top of me. I was trapped!”
Trembling and unwilling to make eye contact, it is clear that Sandleni still has a long way to go to recover from his trauma. “It was chaos, people were crying in serious agony.
Using my cellphone to get light, I looked around and realised that the building had collapsed on us and I saw a lady lying next to me – she was dead! After realising that there were other survivors, I started communicating with them by shouting and we all said our names out loud so we could know who was still alive.”
He remarked that what kept him and other survivors alive was prayer.
“At some point we were running out of oxygen and suffocating but after praying we experienced a gentle breeze and we knew God was not going to allow us to die,” he continued and shared a recording of him praying with the agonising cries of injured survivors in the background.
Sandleni was rescued after 22 hours without food and water. He only sustained a few bruises and cuts. “All the Glory belongs to God. He kept me sane during those dark hours and I’m alive.
Asked if he would go back to Scoan he said if the opportunity was presented to him today, he would not hesitate.
“I can not ask God questions. Actually I came out of there more positive with my faith lifted,” he maintained and said that after this, nothing will ever shake him.
Asked why he chose to travel so far to experience anointing while there were many churches and pastors in the country, he said, “People who ask that question are not rooted in the Word.
It’s like when you are sick and go to a clinic and when they see they cannot deal with your illness, they refer you to a bigger hospital. That is also the case here, the level of anointing is different, period!”
Sandleni said the fact that bodies had not yet been repatriated was delaying the survivors’ healing process and was not fair to grieving families.
To the families who lost their loved ones, he said they should know that they did not die in vain.
“They died in an environment filled with anointing and I’m certain that those who died instantly never experienced pain and did not have a chance to doubt God. They died victorious.”
About TB Joshua’s claims that a plane flew over the building numerous times before the collapse, Sandleni maintained that it was true but added, “This was not just an accident but the devil’s scheme to discourage believers and cause confusion in the body of Christ.”
Meanwhile, families whose loved ones died are receiving counselling and financial assistance from TB Joshua. Last week the church announced that a R50 000 donation would be made towards the funeral expenses of the victims.
“TB Joshua and the church genuinely care for people, even those who are not part of the ministry and I’m confident that the families will definitely receive the financial assistance promised to them,” he concluded.
