BULAWAYO – Fourteen members of the Johane Masowe apostolic sect died after drowning in a river on December 3 during a baptism ceremony in South Africa.
Congregants of the Alexandra-based white garment church were on their way to be baptised in the Jukskei River in Morningside, Johannesburg, when a flash flood occurred.
Some of the more than 30 congregants were said to have been standing on rocks when a deluge of water poured in, witnesses told local media.
The pastor was reportedly saved after he clung onto a tree branch overhanging the river as he was being carried away, one witness added.
The Johane Masowe Church was founded in Zimbabwe, and South African authorities expect that some of the dead will turn out Zimbabwean.
According to eNCA, police, fire services and specialist aquatic rescue teams were still searching for three missing people on Monday.
The Jukskei River runs through the densely populated Alexandra township of Johannesburg, where religious groups frequently gather for baptism and ritual cleansing.
Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi warned residents about the dangers of conducting rituals along rivers.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), an opposition party in South Africa, mourned the deaths of the congregants.
“The EFF in Gauteng mourns the lives of the 14 Johanne Masowe members who tragically lost their lives on Saturday during their sacred baptism practice along the Jukskei River. We also extend our condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in such a tragic manner,” the party said in a statement.
“As Africans, our faith and spiritual beliefs are entrenched in our DNA. The churches, rivers, mountains and oceans have always been our places of refuge when we seek spiritual guidance. No one would have thought that such a sacred practice would be marred by such a tragedy. In the same breath, we cannot ignore the permanent flood threat that the Jukskei River poses to the Alexander community, particularly in Stjwetla.”
