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- Five men drowned several weeks ago while taking part in a church ritual.
- The Zion Christian Church has distanced itself from the incident.
- According to church, it stopped all its activities at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) has distanced itself from the activities that led to the drowning of five men in Hammanskraal.
According to the church, it stopped all its activities in response to the declaration of a State of Disaster in March 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
ZCC spokesperson Ephraim Mafetsa said the leader of the church had advised members on many occasions to desist from going to rivers and mountains to pray.
The church added that it was disappointed to learn that, despite its teachings, some members persist in visiting rivers, dams and mountains, contrary to the policies and rules of the church.
The ZCC conveyed its condolences to the families and friends of those who died.
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"We pray to God that these families are comforted and strengthened as they deal with their loss," Mafetsa added.
The church's statement comes after the drowning of the five men on 12 January.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello said that water at a dam in Stinkwater swept away the five men – aged 31 to 51 – while they were performing a ritual.
Sello added:
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