Exorcism is intrinsic to Christianity. From driving possessed swine into a lake to expelling a spirit from a boy who foamed at the mouth, Jesus could reasonably be considered a therapeutic exorcist.
So, it’s hard to tell churches to get real and rational – although, regrettably, that message is as relevant as ever.
From all over South Africa, solace-seekers flocks to this tiny town of Mofolo, Soweto, South Africa, lured by promises of inner peace and eternal life. What many find instead is terror waged in the name of the Lord.
Congregants of the Holy Christ Church of Zion are regularly punched, smacked, choked, slammed to the ground or thrown in a violent form of deliverance meant to “purify” sinners by beating out devils.
Reports indicate that victims include pre-teens and toddlers, even crying babies, who are vigorously shaken, screamed at and sometimes smacked to banish demons.
Recently, two videos surfaced online showing members of the Zion congregation being beaten with sticks.
One of the videos shows two men, wearing blue, holding big sticks and beating a man who is lying on the ground. A woman is dragged in, and they too beat her.
The other video shows church members singing in a church room. One man drags another and beats him up, with others joining in.
The videos divided public opinions: some laughed it up, while others responded with vitriol.
Faced with the chronic pain of the internet comments and the possible bad reputation that could come with it, clerics at Holy Christ Church of Zion have swiftly come to their defense.
According to the pastors at one of SA’s oldest indigenous churches, while the beating might appear brutal and painful, it is not the people who are feeling the pain.
“We do not beat the flesh but the demon,” said Pastor Mlungwana Dlamini.
Pastor Dlamini said this was normal in Zion churches.
“This is how we cast out demons. People come to church with diseases but they leave cured. It’s because we can see the demons and beat them out.
Many of the people who beat others are prophets. They don’t decide to beat somebody because of a grudge. They beat you up to help you. That’s why no one is injured.”
Another pastor from the Holy Ethiopian Catholic Church of Zion, Pastor Shakaza Ngcobo, said:
“There’s no crime in beating one another in Zion churches. People come for that because they know once they are beaten they will feel refreshed.”
Mbalizethu Mkhize (28) from Mzimhlohe Hostel in Soweto said that she was sick and sure she was dying when a friend invited her to the church.
“The prophets spoke in tongues. They dragged me into the circle and started beating me. By the time I left the church, I’d never felt better. I’m grateful for the beating.”
Zion Churches, known for their nasty exorcism exercises, are among the oldest indigenous Christian sects in South Africa.
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