Attend Incwala, pastors urged

MBABANE – Bishop Samson Hlatshwayo, President of the League of Swaziland Churches has urged his colleagues, including pastors of charismatic ministries to submit to authority by attending today’s main Incwala ceremony in their numbers.

Bishop Hlatshwayo said pastors who despised the sacred ceremony were ignorant of the fact that God respected cultures of nations and that is why kings and their kingdoms are biblically recognised.

The bishop-president said critics of Incwala, mainly today’s charismatic ministers of the gospel should appreciate the fact that maidens (tintfombi temhlanga), young warriors (tingatja), women regiment (lutsango) and all male regiments (emabutfo) were members of the church.   

He said the belief that demons were prevalent in kraals was a theological and heresy emanating from spiritual extremists. He said this belief smacked of disrespect for culture, traditions and the authorities of the country.
He said he was disheartened to see certain pastors condemning the sacred ceremony yet tourists came all the way from overseas countries to participate in appreciation of a unique ceremony.

Pastor Justice Dlamini of the Worship Centre has been one of those who had been critical of certain elements of the sacred ceremony.
“Does that mean Incwala was to be stopped altogether if all Swazis were to be converted to Christ by those who criticise our cultural Incwala? I don’t think they are preaching the appropriate gospel if they criticise this ceremony beacuse it is the prayer of Swazis. Incwala makes Swazis relate to God,” said Bishop Masilela.

 
Bishop Hlatshwayo said he would attend today’s ceremony accompanied by some pastors from churches affiliated to the League of Swaziland Churches.
He said he would have loved to see pastors from all churches joining him at the Ludzidzini Royal Residence today. He said the men of the cloth should stick to God’s word and warn each other against church corruption and leave Incwala to those who knew it better.

“There is a lot that is not going well in church. There’s too much corruption and pastors must concentrate on keeping the people of God pure and holy. They must stop criticising what they don’t know. They must leave Incwala to those who know it better,” warned the bishop.
He said pastors were at the cattle byre when the constitution of the country was officially unveiled to the Swazi population but wondered why they did not attend the annual sacred ceremony.
Today’s holiday marking the annual Incwala ceremony has been shifted to Monday (tomorrow).

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