Church of ‘snake pastor’ burned down

The church of controversial pastor Penuel Mnguni’s End Times Disciples Ministries church in Soshanguve went up in flames on Sunday.

Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and disgruntled locals set the tent alight in protest against his practice of feeding snakes and rats to members of his congregation.

They did so after marching to the self-proclaimed prophet’s church in Extension 13 in the morning.

Acting Gauteng EFF chairperson Mandisa Mashego said the group was angry over the things the pastor made members of his congregation do in the name of God. They insisted on him eating rats and snakes himself.

“We got hold of a rat, and ensured it was dead before we marched to his church. We intended to have him eat the rat, instead of having his congregation do so,” said Mashego.

When the protesters arrived, a church service was already underway.

“We then asked that the service be stopped so that the pastor could eat the rat. But before we could speak to him, he ran away,” said Mashego.

The protesters’ tempers then flared and the community decided to put an end to the church. Some angry protesters took the church tent apart and set it on fire.

The pastor was nowhere to be seen afterwards, but members of the congregation were undaunted. They sang, danced, and writhed in the dust in an apparent religious delirium. Some also started eating leaves off of nearby trees and others ate toilet paper.

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) journalism students taking photos were attacked by church members.

Second-year student Kgalalelo Tlhoaele said: “We were taking photos of the people when one of them saw my hair and said: ‘I see food on her head!’ I tried to run away, but the group caught me and tried to pull out my hair.”

“Luckily they did not succeed.They didn’t hurt me too much, but I did injure my knees when I fell on the ground. I eventually broke free and ran away.”