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DURBAN – Hearings held by the CRL Rights Commission at the Kwasizabantu Mission in the KZN Midlands have revealed witness testimony that the mission did not build families, but broke many.
Witnesses say they lived in fear and that the mission covered up much of what happened.
The alleged victims had been raped and some did not want to testify on camera.
One victim is Celimpilo Malinga, 45 years old.
READ: KwaSizabantu hearings on allegations of rights abuse begin
“My father did not have the opportunity to be our father because our father was the church,” Malinga testified.
“The church raised us, we never knew the voice of our parents because they received instruction from the church and we didn’t have a relationship where they could say, “This is what we want for our children.”
“The church wanted something for their children. The church didn’t build our family, the church broke our family.”
The acts of rape were allegedly committed by church members on or off the church premises.
READ: Religious leaders tell CRL they will self-regulate
“My father told me that when I wanted to marry this woman and the mission did not agree because they had the courage to tell me that she was not a virgin,” said the husband of a victim.
“But they didn’t have [the] The courage to tell me was that she was raped by one of their own and was undercover. “
The commission says some matters will be referred to law enforcement.
The president professor of the CRL, David Mosoma, said that as a commission, they have the power to refer matters to the state organs.
“Consequently, we have the power to speak to state bodies about where the case is, which it reported a year ago.”
On Tuesday, the commission will hear testimony from police, while church leaders are expected to present their defense on Wednesday.
