News
Clergy attack 'cure-all' church
Claims of satanic ritual, child sacrifice
December 10, 2005 Edition 1
Sheena Adams, Chiara Carter and Sheetal Snijder
Religious groups are up in arms over the plans of a controversial Brazilian church with a well-established presence in South Africa to hold a mass miracle healing event in Johannesburg on New Year's Eve.
The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) was banned for the second time in Zambia last week and is being investigated by religious groups in South Africa who have heard bizarre allegations about the church, ranging from satanic worship to child sacrifice.
Undeterred, the UCKG intends holding a mass miracle-healing event at the FNB Stadium on New Year's Eve and has been touting the rally with television adverts which promote the meeting as a cure-all for finance and health issues.
The UCKG, founded in 1977 by self-professed street preacher Emir Macedo, has long been tainted by claims of satanic worship - one of the reasons the Zambian authorities banned the church this week.
Crowds rioted in the capital Lusaka last month amid rumours of a planned ritual sacrifice. Madagascar banned the church in February this year and jailed four senior church officials for the burning of Bibles.
The UCKG claims a presence in about 85 countries around the world.
Various articles have been written about the church from Los Angeles and Paris to Madagascar and Mozambique, alleging money laundering and even drug smuggling.
All accusations have been refuted by the UCKG and investigations have proved none of the allegations.
Besides the sprawling network of churches, Macedo also heads a wealthy business empire in Brazil which includes a television network, radio stations and a bank.
Reverend Moss Nthla, co-ordinator of the Evangelical Alliance of SA (Teasa), told Independent Newspapers yesterday his organisation had long been investigating the UCKG and had approached the Human Rights Commission to take the investigation further. He said he was advised to take the complaints to the police.
Nthla said several people had complained to Teasa about various aspects of the UCKG's operation in South Africa. Complaints ranged from satanic influences in the church services to human sacrifice, he said.
Dr Molefe Tsele, general secretary of the South African Council of Churches, said that the organisation was working on ongoing research into emerging churches such as the UCKG.
Sacrifice
One man, claiming to be a former UCKG pastor, submitted a videotaped testimony in which he listed a host of allegations including that children were sacrificed and their bones ground into a salt to be given out to worshippers during church services.
Nthla said the man had also said human blood was mixed with a type of oil to form a concoction then used during blessing ceremonies.
"The institution presents itself as an ordinary Christian church, but when you look deeper down you'll see the satanic influences. The problem is proving them in court," he said.
The church opened its first South African branch in Johannesburg in 1992. Its website (
www.uckg.org.za) says the church is active in eight provinces, with cathedrals in Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town.
The UCKG was approached for comment several times. An official from the office of presiding Bishop Bira Fonseca refused a request for an interview, but promised the church would respond to written questions. However, officials did not respond to repeated appeals for answers.