Prophet drowns at a baptism pool

BULAWAYO police have clarified that a man who drowned at a baptism pool in Pumula South last month was not a member of Prophet Thabiso Ngwenya's church as they initially reported.

The police said Ngwenya was not there at the baptism ceremony and the man is believed to be a "prophet" who was conducting his own baptism ceremony.

Initially, police said they suspected that the man had drowned while being baptised by Ngwenya.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesman Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo identified the man who drowned at the pool as Selby Chikowora (22), believed to be a prophet from another apostolic church.

"He slid into the pool where he was baptising several people and drowned," Moyo said.

"It is not clear whether he belonged to Prophet Thabiso Ngwenya's church, but he drowned at the very pools where Ngwenya baptises his people."

Ngwenya's lawyers Moyo and Nyoni Legal Practitioners said neither Ngwenya nor prophets from his church had baptised anyone on the fateful day.

"Our client has a church, which was awarded land by local authorities," the lawyers said.

"He erected a baptism pool there and that is where all his baptism services are held."

The lawyers said the reports were likely to cause alarm among the popular prophet's "local and international" clients.