Faith remains after church demolition in Diepsloot
Living Waters Church congregation remains hopeful after their church building was demolished due to it being built on municipal land and in the way of repair efforts for the water crisis affecting the entire Diepsloot.
The demolition of Living Waters Church, in Diepsloot, has left its congregation without a place of worship.
Its leadership, however, says their faith remains unshaken, despite the emotional loss.
The church was demolished as part of the City of Johannesburg’s efforts to access underground infrastructure and resolve the ongoing water crisis affecting residents.
While the loss has been painful for the congregation, church leaders say they remain committed to working with authorities and finding a lawful place where their members can continue worshipping.
Pastor Brave Moyo said congregants were shocked by the demolition.
“They were surprised because there was no notice of the incident, but through faith in God we are strengthened. This coming Sunday will be hard for us, as it was our usual church day.”
Although saddened by the loss of the building, Moyo acknowledged the importance of following lawful processes and protecting public infrastructure.
The pastor said the church is legally registered and has all the required documentation, adding that it had never received complaints regarding its operations.
“We are a well-registered church with legal documents and well-trained pastors. Sadly, they did not even find the water pipe after demolishing our church. Yes, we did build where it was illegal and we did not follow the right procedures, but it was temporary.”
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He explained that the incident highlights a broader challenge faced by many churches in Diepsloot, where suitable land for places of worship remains limited.
“Many churches have not been allocated proper legal land.
Around Diepsloot, some churches end up building near riverbanks, where refuse is dumped, because people still need a place to worship God. Even us, we were given this space by some guys who usually litter here.”
While Moyo admitted he was disappointed to lose the church building, he said the congregation would respect the proper legal process.
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“We will follow the right procedures because we are a legal church, but church leaders have not yet met to discuss the way forward and intend to engage fellow bishops before deciding on their next steps.”
For Moyo, the building may be gone, but the church itself lives on through its people.“Our faith has not been demolished. We have lost a building, but we have not lost God.”
Upon publication Moyo had not respond to why did they not try to go to the City of Johannesburg to ask for approval in the beginning.
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