‘Donkey Church’ in Alexandra honours Rev Bishop Phakoane

The Methodist Church in Africa, which is popularly known in Alexandra as the Donkey Church, held a thanksgiving sermon for the Gauteng District of the church to honour Rev Bishop Shadrack Buzani Phakoane after his more than two-decade-long service in the district.

Phakoane, who has served the district for the past 21 years after being first elected in 2001, was honoured for having served with distinction throughout his tenure at the helm, said Rev Vuyisile Manqina.

“We are today [February 13] saying to him thank you very much for a job well done for over two decades. The fact that you reached this milestone of 21 years after being re-elected every year is an achievement and feat that speaks volumes about your work and leadership skills,” Manqina told Alex News in an interview.

The man of the moment Phakoane told Alex News he was delighted to have served the district of the church with ‘distinction’ as expressed by his peers in the church and the district itself.

Phakoane has been ministering for the church since 1983 and in Alexandra since 1992 and said he was happy to become an ordinary member of the church while at the same time continuing with his ministry work in Alex until he retires.

The Donkey Church was formed in 1933 after the great split from the Methodist Church in Southern Africa. The split was caused by a decision of the then-church elders to raise ‘umnikelo’ [church offering] from three pence to five pence.

When the argument over ‘umnikelo’ reached boiling point, the leader of those against the increase came to church riding on a donkey to announce the split and hence the church on the corner of 10th Avenue and Alred Nzo Street has since been so named.
The other Methodist Church remained on 2nd Avenue.

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