Times Of Swaziland: FAMILY BELIEFS DEPRIVE 6 KIDS OF EDUCATION

FAMILY BELIEFS DEPRIVE 6 KIDS OF EDUCATION
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BY SIBUSISO SHANGE on 25/02/2019 08:14:00


EKUFIKENI – Six children have been deprived of their right to education,
registration and health due to their parents’ extreme religious beliefs that
have resulted in them not going to school.
This happens at a time when the Government of Eswatini has introduced free
primary education (FPE) to make sure that all children enjoy their right to
education.
Parents
According to the parents, Nhlanhla Vilakati and Nonhlanhla Dlamini, who ascribe
to a Zion church known as Zion Libandla laNkulunkulu, their religion was against
taking children to school, hospital and registration of birth certificates or
any other documentation. The family also refused to be counted during census.
The church is made up of only Vilakati family members, and they use one of their
houses to worship.
In an interview at their homestead, the couple claimed that they were connected
to a ‘spiritual world’ where there was no need to take children to school.
The eldest of the children is aged seven.
According to the duo, God was the best teacher who taught undiluted teachings. 
“The danger of taking our children to school is that they would be taught
imaginations of men, which is against God’s will. God wants people to know His
ways which are written in the Bible. The only education we provide to our
children is the Bible because we want them to know God’s ways,” said
Vilakati boastfully.
He added that there was no need for his children to learn how to read and write
if they knew the contents of the Bible.
The couple teaches this ideology to their children at home. The beliefs include
fasting and praying, which is conducted at the homestead or mountains.
Vilakati said the Bible was clear that Jesus led educated people yet He never
went to any school. He quoted the incident where Jesus disappeared from His
parents and was later found in the temple where He was busy with God’s work at
the age of 12.
Spiritual
“Our religion is clear that we do not have to do things as this world does
because we are now connected to the spiritual world, where everything is under
God’s control,” he said.
According to Vilakati, the world follows the things that emanated from Dragon.
When asked why they avoided hospitals, Vilakati said there was no need to go to
hospital in the ‘spiritual world’ as God was the healer of all illnesses.