SA Tourism acting CEO Themba Khumalo. Picture: Simphiwe Mbokazi/African News agency (ANA)
Pretoria - Pastor Alph Lukau’s Alleluia Ministries has distanced itself from any government-related work carried out by SA Tourism acting CEO Themba Khumalo.
The church, through its legal representative, also furnished the Pretoria News with a four-year-old media statement denying it performed a “resurrection” during a service.
This was in reply to queries following social media posts linking Khumalo to Alleluia Ministries and “the man in a coffin”. Kassandra Pather of Sim Attorneys Inc, said the law firm was “instructed” to respond to the four questions sent on February 6.
The first question sought to verify whether Khumalo, a well-known pastor, was still a member of the church or had he cut ties with it.
“We are instructed that Mr Khumalo is no longer a member of Alleluia Ministries International; he ceased being one in October 2020,” said Pather.
The church was also quizzed on whether Khumalo had helped the church with its tourism strategies since the ministry is known for attracting international guests. Pather stressed that Khumalo “certainly did not help Alleluia Ministries International with any tourism strategies”, as the church had none.
“Our client is not involved in any way in the ‘tourism industry’. Our client does host certain Christian-based programmes attended by both local and international followers of Alleluia Ministries International. They do not rely on ‘tourism strategies’ as they are Christian-based programmes,” she said.
Khumalo was initially appointed at SA Tourism as a chief marketing officer in August 2019 while he was still a member of Alleluia Ministries, but Pather stated there was never any conflict of interest.
Khumalo was later appointed as acting chief executive of the tourism entity.
“Mr Khumalo’s involvement with Alleluia Ministries International was based on his Christian beliefs and had nothing to do with being SA Tourism acting CEO.”
The church, through its legal representative, took exception to questions relating to the controversial coffin scene that rocked Alleluia Ministries and its leader, Lukau, in 2019. The scene was at the centre of social media criticism directed at Khumalo this week. In the video that went viral across the world, Lukau was seen ushering a coffin into the church. The coffin contained a man in a white suit, who was later seen getting out of the coffin, leading the congregants into joyous eruption.
The Pretoria News asked whether the church could put it on record whether Lukau had indeed raised a man from the dead or whether it agreed with critics who branded it “a fake miracle”.
“Our client has formed certain preliminary views as to why this issue is again being raised, but our client has … attached the 2019 statement … ”
According to the statement, Lukau denied ever claiming he raised a man from the dead. “At no stage did Pastor Alph claim he resurrected the person in the video, identified by his family members as Elliot. From the video footage it is clearly stated that when the mortuary vehicle arrived at the church, there was already movement in the coffin.
“Prior to praying for Elliot, Pastor Alph states that Elliot is, in fact, breathing … ”
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu warned South Africans to respect Khumalo's religious beliefs. Khumalo is yet to respond to media questions.
Pretoria News