Jukskei Drownings: Alex Residents Reveal They Begged Missing Pastor to Stop Baptising People in the River

• The community of Alexandra are still reeling from the mass drowning that occurred over the weekend
• Alexandra residents pleaded with the pastor involved in the Jukskei baptism drowning to stop using the river for his rituals
• The pastor who presided over the baptism went missing shortly after he was saved by other congregants

JOHANNESBURG - While the loved ones of the 15 people who drowned in a flash flood in the Jukskei River mourn their dead, Alexandra residents reveal they begged the missing pastor to stop using the river for baptisms.

The mass drowning occurred this past weekend when a group of churchgoers gathered at the body of water for a baptism ceremony.

The church members were caught in a flash flood caused by heavy rain. Rescuers have recovered 15 bodies thus far, TimesLIVE reported.

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A resident of the Alexandra township Linda Twala told News24 that many community members had implored the pastor to stop running his church at the river but the pastor refused to listen to their pleas.

Twala said:

"He still continues putting other people's lives at risk. The entire township has been affected by this."

The community member also cast doubts over the rituals the pastor performed, adding that people should be baptised in a river because the conditions are too dangerous.

The pastor in question has not been seen since he was saved from the flood by congregants and has allegedly gone into hiding. This has not stopped community members from calling for answers from the missing pastor.

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Tefo Raphadu, a ward councillor from the township said residents want to get to the bottom of the tragedy.

The councillor added that if the pastor was an honest man and the tragedy was truly an accident, he should have been there to comfort the grieving families.

South Africans react to the Jukskei drownings

Citizens believe the missing pastor is entirely at fault for the drownings.

@Em5Evans commented:

"Yip. Certainly the pastor's fault. He prayed for the rains and they didn’t have any day in the matter."

@Memysel68722198 complained:

"How many pastors are doing this, and all they get is front-page news."

@thegothking added:

"People keep falling for a charlatan with a bible in his hand."

@denny52pen claimed:

"Tragic as this was and RIP to all the victims, they were adults and should have known better."

Jukskei baptism tragedy: Rescue services look for missing baby as search reaches 6th day

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Earlier, Briefly News reported that rescue services continued the search for the churchgoers swept away by flash floods during a baptism in the Jukskei River. Among the victims still missing is a baby who rescuers are still searching for.

Johannesburg emergency management services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said that rescue services were dedicating the 6th day of the search to find the baby, who is believed to be three months old.

The freak accident occurred on Saturday, 3 December, when approximately 30 churchgoers gathered in the river and were subsequently swept away by strong currents, EWN reported.

Source: Briefly News