PHIKOLOMZI Mafanya has made himself very unpopular in Zimbane Village, in the Eastern Cape.
Mafanya, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Bridge to Heaven Ministry, has been in the village for five years.
Residents said he held his church services in school halls without asking permission.
Now he has set up his big mkhukhu in the middle of a soccer field and has put a fence around it.
Last week, residents approached the Mthatha High Court and on Thursday obtained a court order giving the pastor three days to demolish his mkhukhu. Zimbane Village community leader Onke Nyathi said they were tired of Mafanya’s bullying.
“When we reprimand him, he threatens us with his black headless goat with red high heels and this scares many villagers.”
Onke said if the pastor had humbled himself and asked for a site, they would have given him one at a good price.
Villager Noni Dumani confirmed the pastor’s threats.
“He said he would torment us with his black headless goat,” she said.
Villagers also claim that he is selling pee at R1 000 a litre, claiming it is the urine of Jesus Christ.
So far, the pastor has only removed the fence.
Mafanya’s lawyer has asked the court for an extension.
Mafanya referred the SunTeam to a madala he claimed was his guardian angel, but later spoke for himself.
He said he couldn’t confirm or deny that he used the soccer field illegally.
He said he asked the community to allow him to use a small portion of the field temporarily but instead was told to buy it.
He denied that he sells pee that he claims is the urine of Jesus Christ.
He said it is holy water from the Jordan River.
“As for the goat, the Holy Spirit inside me manifests itself in different ways that some people may not understand.”
He said he would remove his mkhukhu.
“But God will punish the community for rejecting a holy man of God.”
