Government ‘to blame’ for deaths of church members at Jukskei River

There were still families missing loved ones after a river baptism in the Jukskei river went wrong over the weekend when a flash flood saw multiple church members missing and found dead on Sunday.

The short video clip of the baptism ceremony circulated on Twitter had followers describing the practice as reckless behaviour considering the many past deaths relating to cleaning rituals.

The City of Johannesburg’s emergency management spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the search for the remaining bodies was called off due to the bad weather conditions yesterday.

NOW READ: Update: Seven more bodies found after 15 go missing in Jukskei River flash flood

Three missing bodies

Mulaudzi said 14 bodies has been recovered while three persons were still reported as missing.

“There are three families who haven’t located their loved ones,” he said.

Baptism gone wrong

33 people from a church in Alexandra attended the baptism ritual along the stream on Saturday when 14 members allegedly went missing following a flash flood.

South African Weather Service forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela said a warning for severe thunderstorms was forecasted for today.

Thobela added more rainfall was forecasted for the week going into the weekend. The severe thunderstorms yesterday saw areas in Gauteng hit with hail as big as golf balls.

Thobela said strong winds, hail and localised flooding was also forecasted in Gauteng this week.

Hennops revival founder Tarryn Johnston said because they worked on the dirty parts of the river, they haven’t run into churchgoers doing rituals during their clean-ups.

“We have found signs of rituals at the agricultural research centre head such as candles and other things. Often, they throw offers into the water adding to the pollution of the river,” she said.

Johnston said the churchgoers contributed to the state of the river.

“Because water is cleansing, they should treat the water as sacred and not dump offers in the water,” she said

‘Government to blame for deaths’

South African National Christian Forum (SANCF) Bishop Marothi Mashashane said the government was to blame for the deaths.

“The SANCF learned with disappointment the loss of lives as reported, and has government to blame. Our government is careless about the lives of the poor, why is this continuing year in and year out, can we really call it a baptism?” he said.

Mashashane said there were several reasons why informal settlements existed.

Informal settlements lead to vulnerability

“The main concept is that informal settlements have become a perpetual challenge and adversely impose negative impacts on the environment. Living in informal settlements leads to the exposure and vulnerability to environmental hazards to people and the land which they occupy,” he said.

Mashashane said they were aware of some church performing rituals things in rivers.

“It’s dangerous. We have been calling for churches to be regulated. Unless it is properly regulated, we will continue to see these drownings,” he said.

The pressure of having a charismatic leader

Criminologist Professor Jaco Barkhuizen said the deaths had to do with peer pressure.

“If the pressure of the group is high enough and you have a charismatic leader, followers would do anything for the leader, even if it means something goes against common logic such as jumping into rivers that could lead to death,” he said.

Barkhuizen said there were many examples of people blindly following leaders.

“We saw in the Krugersdorp murders how a leader convinced a group to kill innocent people. It’s all you need for stuff like this to happen, a strong belief, a charismatic leader and enough group pressure to overwrite basic individual safety concerns.

Barkhuizen said adding a charismatic leader and a strong following with religion or spirituality was a deadly combination.

“We have seen people do horrendous things to themselves or others for a leader. Just look at the Manson family, Jim Jones, the Eastern Cape Occult,” he said.

marizkac@citizen.co.za

Two dead, at least 15 missing after flash floods wash away church group in Jukskei River