KZN's Isolated Faith Community Raises Eyebrows Over Education and Health Choices

• About 100 people reportedly abandoned their lives to join a secluded religious community in KwaMaphumulo
• The members sustain themselves through subsistence farming, prioritising spiritual beliefs over education and healthcare
• Neighbouring residents expressed concerns over the children's education and the community's limited oversight

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

KWAZULU-NATAL - About 100 people have settled in a secluded religious community in Dabangu, KwaMaphumulo, roughly 30km north of KwaDukuza, after giving up jobs, studies and personal possessions to live as what they describe as disciples of Jesus.

Withdrawn from formal employment and education

According to IOL, the group established a fenced settlement known as iKhaya Labafundi, translated as Home of the Disciples, located at a distance from the surrounding community and not easily accessible. Members sustain themselves through subsistence farming, producing crops such as sweet potatoes, mealie meal, avocados, and guavas while also raising livestock including cattle, pigs and chickens. Residents have withdrawn from formal employment and education, with learners leaving school and students abandoning tertiary studies. Some members have also given up mobile phones and adopted celibacy as part of their lifestyle.

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Access to the settlement is controlled, with journalists only allowed entry after approval from the group's leader, Reverend Vusimuzi Sibiya. Inside, members carry out daily domestic tasks, including washing and maintenance of the property. Women wear headwraps, aprons and modest clothing, while members greet each other with a uniform religious phrase affirming their faith.

Sibiya, who founded the community, indicated that members come from different parts of the country and various backgrounds, including individuals who had previously owned businesses or held stable employment. He maintained that people join voluntarily in pursuit of spiritual fulfilment and inner peace, often influenced by his teachings shared on social media. He also confirmed that some members have left families, careers and studies to join the settlement. During the visit, Sibiya acknowledged that his own daughter had been withdrawn from school before completing Grade 11.

Personal decisions linked to their beliefs

Several members described personal decisions linked to their beliefs. A woman from Inanda reported that she stopped taking antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in 2024 after starting in 2022, citing faith in spiritual healing. Another member from Mpumalanga indicated that she had also discontinued ARV treatment in 2024 after 16 years for similar reasons. A young man from Umlazi stated that he gave up an opportunity to study computer engineering at the University of Cape Town (UCT) despite having secured admission and accommodation, choosing instead to join the community and focus on religious teachings. He added that he had also abandoned romantic relationships.

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A video circulating publicly shows some members burning academic certificates, stating that they no longer consider them valuable. A 15-year-old girl indicated that she had left school to follow religious teachings, saying she wanted to pursue what she believed to be God's will. While members describe a sense of purpose, concerns have been raised by residents in neighbouring communities, particularly regarding children of school-going age who are not attending school and decisions related to healthcare.

Neighbouring communities raised concerns

Some residents, speaking anonymously, described the situation as troubling and called for intervention, expressing concern over the withdrawal of children from school on religious grounds and suggesting that the settlement should be shut down. They also alleged that Sibiya operates without sufficient oversight. Residents further claimed that officials from the Department of Social Development had previously intervened by removing Sibiya's children to assist them with schooling, but that they were later returned.

Additional complaints include allegations of frequent all-night sermons conducted using loudhailers, sometimes continuing until morning. Community members also indicated that many followers originate from outside KwaMaphumulo rather than the immediate area.

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Source: Briefly News