“We need to start praying”

An elderly clergyman, pastor Murada Rathogwa, believes prayers can help stop the deadly coronavirus that is affecting people’s lives around the globe.

Rathogwa (93) has been a senior pastor and evangelist for the Zion Christian Church for the past 50 years. He was baptized in the church in 1965, where he rose from the first-level position of preacher to the most senior position of evangelist.

Since he became a pastor in 1970, Rathogwa has been praying for people from different walks of life in his church and those outside.

Besides his advanced age, Rathogwa concedes that he has never experienced a disease such as  the coronavirus. “I have lived enough to be able to tell different stories that are related to the experience I gained in life. But since I was born, I have never come across to this type of disease or virus. Although I am old, I think it is not difficult to adhere to the president’s call directing us to follow the lockdown regulations. The important thing is to understand and follow the rules that guide us under the lockdown. If we adhere to the president’s call, this virus will disappear from our lives,” Rathogwa said. He added that he believed prayers from pastors from different churches across the country could help stop the virus.

“Since the outbreak of this virus, I have been praying day and night for God to help stop it. Even though I am too old, I fast to make sure that God responds to our prayers. Today, I am taking this opportunity to urge my fellow pastors from the ZCC and those from other churches to pray hard, so that God can stop this virus. I believe prayers can save us from this virus,” said Rathogwa. “With this virus, I think God is presenting it to us, pastors and doctors, as a challenge that we must deal with.”

Now that he is not able to perform his daily routine of praying for people, especially the sick, Rathogwa keep himself busy by working in his 1,2-hectare field. As a clergyman who does not get paid for his voluntary work, Rathogwa has been supporting his family from the money he makes in the field.

“I started planting tomatoes and other crops, such as cabbages and onions. But later, I moved to sweet potatoes, green beans, mealies, ground nuts and green beans. I abandoned tomatoes because they are too expensive to maintain,” said Rathogwa while revealing that he sends his products to market in Gauteng at City Deep.

Today Rathogwa works with his daughters, Rachel (23) and Ramaano Rathogwa (33).

“Everything comes from the soil. I advise other people to till the land, so that they can survive,” said Rathogwa.

Date:17 May 2020

By: Ndivhuwo Musetha

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