Swazi Observer

FULL STORY

ARCH BISHOPâ€™S IN-LAWS ATTACK NEWS TEAM

By SUNDAY OBSERVER REPORTER | 2019-04-28

An investigation into allegations that a prominent man of the cloth had sexual relations with a Form Two pupil who ultimately dropped out after falling pregnant, took a nasty turn when her family members attacked this publication’s news team.

The incident, which occurred in the Lubombo region, saw one member of the news team rushed to the hospital after he was clobbered by three sets of different mobs which left a company vehicle dented by clubs and a broken windshield from a flying missile.

The efforts to verify claims of an affair by the prominent bishop with the pupil could not be concluded as the news team had to flee the area.

The Sunday Observer was pursuing the story of the Form Two pupil based on pictures, seen by this publication, of the bishop and the pupil who the man of the cloth is said to be in the process of marrying as his umpteenth wife. In one of the pictures, the bishop is seen pouting with the pupil in what appears to be a selfie picture while in another, the girl is posing alone and appears to be pregnant. Investigations by this publication revealed that the pupil was no longer at Mhubhe as she transfered at the beginning of the year to Gilgal High School where she ultimately dropped out at the beginning of the term.

Pupils from Gilgal High told this publication that the pupil dropped out of school after she had entered in a relationship with the bishop who intends marrying her soon. The revelation of the allegedly pregnant pupil has shocked many of the bishop’s followers, although he is known to have other wives.

“She was doing Form Two C last year, she was expected to be in Form Three this year, but she had found a man who is taking care of her and she dropped out of school. She is now expecting and this seems to be widely known in the school and community.

Similarly, neighbours at Mdumezulu confirmed knowledge of the matter saying the pupil was now living in town and occasionally visited her parental home.

Although the bishop will not be named for now, the family of the pupil volunteered three important points which suggested that the pupil is having an affair with the bishop.

This was during the heat of the moment when the interview with this news team went awry at the girl’s home. The two notable quotes were: “Bonkhe labatsatfwako nenta njalo nigijima niye lemakhaya kubo labantfu noma niyasigcagcalata?” This when loosely translated means, “Do you visit all the people who are to be wedded, or you are undermining us?” “Lomntfwana wa nga 1998 nje manje ikuphi inkinga nakatsafwa?” which is questioning what is wrong with the child being married as she was born in 1998.

These were the quotes by the family members before they attacked, damaged the company vehicle and assaulted one of the news team members.

share story