Publication: The Star Issued: Date: 2005-12-16 Reporter: Alex Eliseev Reporter: Reporter:

Free Zuma or Face God's Great Earthquake

 

Publication 

The Star
Date 2005-12-16

Reporter

Alex Eliseev

Web Link

www.thestar.co.za

 

JZ has support from above, or at least from his self-proclaimed spokesperson, a fanatical 'prophet'

This week I received a letter from God. The letterhead proudly stated “Office of the prophet of God” and the author was, as I understood it, His spokesperson.

“The Lord God has commanded me to command the South African National Public Prosecuting Authority to immediately drop all corruption and all rape charges imposed on Mr Jacob Zuma,” the opening sentence reads.

I was intrigued.

The next demand is: “Force President Thabo Mbeki to re-instate Mr Jacob Zuma as the deputy president of both the ANC and the country.”

I was amused.

God forgot to mention to Dr Morgan Madida (the “prophet” and author) that Zuma was still technically the deputy president of the ANC and that such decisions could only be taken by special committees.

“Failing that, the Lord God will destroy 90% of the South African nation, and 90% of the South African economy, with the earthquakes, in any day in any year after the year 2005,” Madida writes.

“This is not alarmist.”

Why only 90%? Why not the whole thing? And furthermore, if predictions are to have any credibility, they have to be more specific than “any day, any year”. But who am I to question such divine instructions?

Plus, Madida assures me (and the editors of all newspapers in South Africa), “everything that the Lord God tells me will happen. I don't tell lies at all. Just ask the following people about me. They all know very well that I prophesy (sic) and tell the truth to the world …”

His references are impressive. Bill Clinton; Nelson Mandela; Thabo Mbeki; Robert Mugabe (personally, I would have steered away from that one on my CV); and several others ranging from Saddam Hussein (who will be quite difficult to reach at the moment, with his court case and all); Yasser Arafat (who will be impossible to reach – since he is dead); and Vladimir Putin (I will be sure to chat to him when I am in Moscow next year in March).

“Yes, the great earthquakes that are written in the Bible will now take place. And the Lord God will make those great earthquakes destroy the disobedient and evil countries on this earth.”

Madida goes on to preach about the political succession war, tribal politics and SA being infected with the political disease.

I wonder if Madida wouldn't mind asking God for a break. I mean, with HIV/Aids, crime and poverty, can we really handle another disease?

Then the letter really hots up. Officials of the NPA, Mbeki, the Scorpions, ministers, all judges of the Constitutional Court and High Court, all political parties, all editors and employees of all newspapers will be sentenced to “death by firing squad” if Zuma is not “freed”.

Rest assured I will explain to Madida the concept of bail and that Zuma is not in fact in custody.

If the firing squad doesn't get us, Madida writes, the earthquakes will. So he has been told by Lord God.

“I can destroy almost the whole world. I am so dangerous to the world, if the world does not obey the command of the Lord God. I can simple (sic) and easily cause a Nuclear world war. May God Bless you”.

So are we in for blessings or nuclear destruction? Using two pages of text, produced on a typewriter, Madida had managed to touch on almost everything from politics to doomsday.

I have always said that moderation is the most important factor of life.

Extremism and fanaticism, however, are the most dangerous.

There is a reason that golf carts have gadgets built in that forbid you to fly around a golf course at wild speeds.

If they did not, accidents would happen and a lot of businessmen and retired/ suspended politicians would be killed. Most human beings also have these gadgets, metaphorically speaking.

Endless wars have been fought over religion. Blood continues to flow because of people's beliefs. Madida's grim letter is a perfect example of how religion can be used to fight personal campaigns and cause destruction.

He claims that he has been spreading the word since 1990. That's 15 years of abusing religion. I pray the letter he sent The Star is his last

With acknowledgements to Alex Eliseev and The Star.