A religious community in KwaZulu-Natal that is encouraging members to abandon modern medicine – including antiretroviral (ARV) treatment – in favour of faith healing, has been lambasted by provincial Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, reports TimesLIVE.
Speaking to the iKhaya Labafundi community in KwaMaphumulo on the weekend, she said there was a clear distinction between condemning dangerous health misinformation and respecting religious freedom.
The group is led by one Vusumuzi Sibiya, who calls himself a messenger, and who started the mission in 2010. His followers have turned their back on the outside world, including education, professional careers and medical intervention. Instead, they prefer to be self-sufficient, relying on farming for food, and faith to help with other issues.
Simelane said his reported teachings are “deeply worrying” and appear to be part of a broader trend where some leaders undermine HIV treatment by promoting faith healing over scientifically proven medication.
“That behaviour is dangerous …is, in effect, a way of killing people slowly.”
She described this as genocide, appealing to the broader religious fraternity to work with the department in condemning such action, and extending an offer to pastors who may feel uninformed about HIV and Aids.
“Pastors play a big role in our communities. They preach weekly to people who believe in them. If their message on HIV and Aids is dwindling, that is dangerous. We are willing to train and equip pastors so that they can become our ambassadors in combating HIV and Aids.”
She also called for legal consequences for anyone proven to be deliberately spreading life-threatening misinformation.
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