Cape Town - While making their voice heard calling for 100% capacity in their churches over the Easter weekend, pastors have been seen condemning homosexuality and those who worship other gods.
Approximately 90 church leaders marched from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) campus to Parliament on Friday for a “National Day of Protest and Prayer Against The Third Wave”.
Church gatherings were banned when the country returned to adjusted level 3 lockdown in December after they were perceived by the government as super-spreader events of Covid-19.
As lockdown restrictions have eased, gatherings – including religious, social, political and cultural gatherings – have been permitted, subject to limitations on size, adherence to social distancing and other health protocols.
The maximum number of people allowed at any gathering is 100 indoors or 250 outdoors.
Pastor Z. Baliso, provincial convener of Pastors Against Church Closures, said that last year pastors were unable to celebrate Easter due to lockdown, and they do not want a repeat of last year.
While pastors were gathering and praying outside Parliament, one felt moved to not only condemn homosexuality, but also those who worship “other gods”.
The other pastors in attendance were quick to chant their support.
“We repent! We repent! We repent for sin of homosexuality! We repent for sin of homosexuality, in the name of Jesus! We repent for sin of worshipping other gods, in the name of Jesus! Forgive us!” a pastor proclaimed.
Video: Henk Kruger/African News Agency
When asked about what the pastors had said, Baliso answered that that was not their focus.
“I don’t know, that was not our agenda, our agenda is about the re-opening of the church to full capacity.”
When asked if there was perhaps another group present, he said that their group was the only one at the march.
Cape Argus