Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng has called for a spiritual intervention to address the rising violence against children in South Africa, blaming evil spirits for the recent tragic events. Mboro was among the mourners who gathered in Ekurhuleni on Saturday, 11 January, to pay their respects to five-year-old Ntombenhle Nzima, whose life was brutally taken on New Year’s Day. Ntombenhle’s body was discovered near a sports ground in Bluegum View, Duduza, after she was tragically murdered and abandoned.
Mboro spoke out passionately during the funeral, stating that the root cause of such violence is not only gender-based violence but also the sinister practices linked to beliefs like ukuthwala—a traditional practice often associated with abductions, forced marriages, and body part theft. “This is a spiritual war,” Mboro declared. He urged the government to give churches more authority to pray over schools and communities, suggesting that such prayers could help combat the growing violence.
Other speakers at the funeral echoed Mboro’s sentiments, calling for the reintroduction of prayer assemblies in schools. “We believe that by bringing assemblies back and having pastors pray, we can fight the evil that has befallen our children,” one speaker said. The tragic death of Ntombenhle is not an isolated incident; in Soweto, six children recently lost their lives to food poisoning, which further fueled the call for spiritual solutions to combat the growing threats facing children.
Ntombenhle’s father, Siphiwe Mcethe, expressed his heartbreak at the loss of his daughter, revealing that he had initially thought she was with her grandmother. “I pray for the person who did this to come forward and explain why they took my daughter’s life,” Mcethe said. “That child was a jewel to me, and it’s sad that she had to leave this world in such a brutal way.” Gauteng police confirmed that no suspects have been arrested, and they are urging anyone with information to come forward and contact CrimeStop at 08600 10111.
