Times Of Swaziland: ‘Indayela does not kill’

‘Indayela does not kill’
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BY ZWELIHLE SUKATI on 10/08/2013 01:01:00


MBABANE – The Jericho Red Gown Sect and the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) have
both distanced themselves from a deadly concoction that allegedly led to death
of three christians this week.
Both religions said their ‘holy tea and water’ was not meant to kill anyone.
This follows news that have been making headlines where three people died on
separate occasions at Mashobeni after allegedly drinking a concoction at a night
vigil held at a certain homestead. They had gone to deliver a prayer.  The
deadly concoction included a mixture of methylated spirit, tea and milk.
Stout ZCC members who preferred anonymity, citing church protocol have taken
offence to labelling the deadly concoction as ‘indayela’  (holy tea) which
is used by the church.
“Only the Zion Christain Church (ZCC) is known for drinking holy tea
(indayela). Even then it is just plain tea with no sugar but it’s prayed for.
Indayela is a Zulu term for the ZCC’s holy tea and in seSotho it is called
‘Tea ya bophelo’ which means ‘Tea of life’,” said one senior ZCC
member.
Consumption
“Who on earth in his or her right senses would drink methylated spirit because
it is not for human consumption?” asked the ZCC follower without expecting a
response.
Leader of the Jericho Red Gown Sect Bishop Khanya-kwezwe Vilakati has also come
out to distance the Jericho church from this ‘foreign’ concoction.
He said he took the reports very seriously to the extent that he sent a team of
pastors to ascertain if, in fact, those responsible for the concoction were true
Jericho Red Gown Church members.
He said the Jericho Red Gown Church has, in practice, Siwasho which is ‘holy
water’.
“We have since gathered that these were members of the Zionist Church and
those of the Jericho Red Gown who are behind this ungodly practice (lokuganga
loku),” said Bishop Vilakati.
“We have no idea where these church members came up with this idea. This
concoction is not part of the Jericho Red Gown Sect principle.
“What the nation and everyone else should know is that the Jericho Red Gown
Sect has its pillars of faith based on prayer and studying of scriptures that
people should repent and go to heaven. We do not know where this concoction
drinking practice comes from?” he explained.
He likened the incident to thieves who had come to steal when people had come to
celebrate.
“As the Jericho Church we strongly condem this practice and people should not
associate this with the church’s practice. We are yet to continue with our
investigations to find out the creator of this dealdy practice which has now
been associated with church members,” he continued.
“Loku akusiwo umhambo we Jericho (This is against the Jericho Church practice.
We do not drink tindayela. We use Siwasho. This is a mixture of soil and water.
The soil can be either Umqakazo (white soil) or libovu (red soil) which can be
used when bathing. Also, if the Holy Spirit leads, we go to the waterfall for a
cleansing ceremony. These are the only tiwasho we know,” said Vilakati.
Concoctions
“The Jericho Church has nothing to do with tindayela (holy tea) or such
concoctions. The founder of the Jericho Church, the late Bishop Melika Vilakati,
never introduced such concoctions other than siwasho which is just water from a
waterfall,” said Hunter Shongwe who is also a pastor and influential Jericho
Church member.
He said, “We had a similar incident sometime last year when four people died
at Dlangeni after inhaling toxic mixtures and the trend seems to be on the rise.
Some go as far as inhaling these toxic substances during a process called
kufutsa (steaming) and inhaling methylated spirit is suicidal as it affects the
lungs and the entire respiratory system.”