More than 20 congregants of the Showers of Blessings Christian Church in Zion are receiving counselling at a Khayelitsha clinic after being robbed and stripped naked inside the church, on Easter Sunday, April 9, in the Taiwan informal settlement.
Two men, aged 20 and 25, have been arrested.
Showers of Blessings Christian Church in Zion’s Reverend Siyabulela Jezile sat down with Vukani at his Site C home to break the silence about the terrifying ordeal of his members.
He said he and other members had just left after an all-night vigil when he got a call saying his members were getting robbed by two men inside the church.
“On that Sunday morning we had just finished the night vigil. As a church we had our members from all over the country. So some used the church mission to sleep. All men left and only women and children were there. I had just left and was preparing to sleep when a call came to say the robbers were in the church,” he said.
The reverend rushed to the church and when he got there he found his members traumatised after being attacked.
“They robbed them of their cellphones. But the saddest part of all of this was that the women were ordered to strip naked. That was the humiliation that has left them ashamed. Two young men stripping off the clothes of seniors, that was horrible. We thank the Lord that they did not rape them. That is why they are now receiving counselling.”
Reverend Jezile added that when residents heard of the news they were helpful in finding the culprits.
He thanked the people of Site C for behaving and not hurting them in the process. “When we found one guy at his home, the parents were not aware of what he did. On him we found three cellphones and the parents were shocked. There were those who wanted to take the law into their hands but with the help of some local leaders, they managed to quell the anger,” he said.
He said he was grateful to local leaders and political organisations who after hearing the ordeal visited the church to offer counselling.
Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that Khayelitsha Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences are investigating cases of business robbery and sexual assault. “We can also confirm that two suspects aged 20 and 25 were arrested. The suspects are due to make their court appearance in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court soon,” he said.
