Mozambique: MISA demands investigation into disappearance of journalist
Mozambique: Pastor arrested over illegal service – AIM report
8:39 CAT | 24 Apr 2020
File photo: Noticias
The Mozambican police have arrested a protestant pastor and his assistant in Zavala district, in the southern province of Inhambane, who violated the state of emergency regulations by holding a religious ceremony attended by over 300 people.
Under the state of emergency, all religious gatherings are banned for fear that bringing large numbers of believers together will facilitate the spread of the coronavirus that causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease.
According to the Zavala district administrator, Dario Machava, cited in Thursday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”, the two men arrested are 60 year old pastor Relva Guambe and his 46 year old assistant Salomao Bie, who run the Apostolic Union Zion Church of Mozambique. They organised the illegal ceremony in Lichanga village, supposedly in homage of the local ancestors.
It was clearly a festive event, since to feed the congregation, two cows. 10 goats and more than 50 chickens were slaughtered.
The police were called in to disperse the gathering, and a judge formalised the detention of Guambe and Bie on Tuesday.
Also in Zavala, the police seized two overcrowded minibuses, which were carrying 22 people, rather than their licensed capacity of 15.
Source: AIM
Show comments
Also read
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.