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	Pastor Demands E500 for ‘consultation’ By Ackel Zwane Swazi Observer July 9, 2011 http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=27154 Worshippers in Mvutjini are outraged by a pastor who is demanding E500 each time he has to be consulted for the many afflictions that the members bring to him. This amount was recently increased from E250 at the time government also announced it was cash strapped. The ‘receptionist’ who receives the money on behalf of the pastor preferred not to comment when called and referred all questions to the senior pastor. Apart from the E500 there are several other fundraising initiatives to the extent worshippers are ordered to ‘top up’ if the day’s collection appears too little compared to busier days. The Mvutjini church has also woken to fresh allegations of sexual abuse. Worshippers claim that the strange behaviour by one of the influential pastors has resulted in them beginning to wonder whether this is a religious project or something to do with money and abuse. It has been established that one of the girls has reported the pastor to the church mothers but they are all afraid of confronting the church elders about the issue because they revered the said pastor. They have revealed that during service they are threatened with all sorts of devil powers if they do not conform to what they are being told. It is also during sermons that the worshipers claim to be threatened with all sorts of ill luck if they change churches. The girl who has reported the pastor to the church women is now on the run after information was leaked to some of the church elders that they were being investigated for purposes of publication. She is understood to have been warned against telling her side of the story. The women have however counseled the girl but do not know whether that would have any effect on her. Strangely a meeting was called by the chairman on Thursday where the girls was asked to explain whether she had been in fact sexually molested. Sources aid the girl declined the allegations and then the chairman confronted two of the mothers who allegedly counseled her to ask where they got the story about a girl being abused. It is said the two were so infuriated that they left the meeting because the girl had denied ever reporting anything to the mothers. This happened after the Weekend Observer had sent an sms to the pastor concerned for comment but instead of reacting to the questionnaire an investigation was instituted. But this has already spread like wildfire among worshippers because the girl had been talking after she was disgusted by what happened to her when in fact she had expected blessings in the first place.
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