WATCH: church leader beats young woman for drinking alcohol

South Africans were enraged by a video of church leaders, allegedly from the Endumisweni Faith Mission in Mdantsane, beating a young woman with a water pipe at the church’s NU8 branch.

The young woman who is being assaulted is seen in the church’s uniform and can be heard apologising repeatedly to the woman doing the beating as other church members cheer on.

The woman beating the young woman has been identified by social media users as founder and leader of Endumisweni Gospel Group, Tsidi Spampool.

“Her name Tsidi Spampool, founder and leader of Endumisweni Gospel Group. She is notoriously known for doing this at Endumisweni Faith Mission-Nu8. The girl she is assaulting is not her daughter. Members of the church allegedly refer to her as ‘The Angel’, whatever she says, goes,” said @SpitchNzawumbi on Twitter.

In the video, she is heard talking about the young woman drinking alcohol and posting it on social media.

Church leader Asivo Nosenga told the Dispatch that beating “unruly” children was part of the church’s disciplinary methods.

“Who are they trying to show that they are drinking while they are under a church that is [well] known [in the community]. We are trying to protect children from outside influences such as drugs; these are girls and they will get drunk and [can then] become rape victims,” they were quoted as saying.

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The video angered South Africans, who took to social media to voice their opinions.

“Shouldn’t she be praying for them rather? Kanti what does religion say about this? The brutality of it. What has she learnt here exactly,” said one user, while another said: “This is so wrong and church is in the mix of things. Mina if someone were to beat my child like that I’d go to church and punish her,open a case of assault period.we can’t deal with abuse whether is done by men or woman abuse isn’t right at all.”

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