FAMILY BELIEFS DEPRIVE 6 KIDS OF EDUCATION

EKUFIKENI – Six children have been deprived of their right to education, registration and health due to their parents’ extreme religious beliefs that have resulted in them not going to school.
This happens at a time when the Government of Eswatini has introduced free primary education (FPE) to make sure that all children enjoy their right to education.

Parents

According to the parents, Nhlanhla Vilakati and Nonhlanhla Dlamini, who ascribe to a Zion church known as Zion Libandla laNkulunkulu, their religion was against taking children to school, hospital and registration of birth certificates or any other documentation. The family also refused to be counted during census.
The church is made up of only Vilakati family members, and they use one of their houses to worship.

In an interview at their homestead, the couple claimed that they were connected to a ‘spiritual world’ where there was no need to take children to school. The eldest of the children is aged seven.
According to the duo, God was the best teacher who taught undiluted teachings.  “The danger of taking our children to school is that they would be taught imaginations of men, which is against God’s will. God wants people to know His ways which are written in the Bible. The only education we provide to our children is the Bible because we want them to know God’s ways,” said Vilakati boastfully.

He added that there was no need for his children to learn how to read and write if they knew the contents of the Bible.
The couple teaches this ideology to their children at home. The beliefs include fasting and praying, which is conducted at the homestead or mountains.
Vilakati said the Bible was clear that Jesus led educated people yet He never went to any school. He quoted the incident where Jesus disappeared from His parents and was later found in the temple where He was busy with God’s work at the age of 12.

Spiritual

“Our religion is clear that we do not have to do things as this world does because we are now connected to the spiritual world, where everything is under God’s control,” he said.
According to Vilakati, the world follows the things that emanated from Dragon.
When asked why they avoided hospitals, Vilakati said there was no need to go to hospital in the ‘spiritual world’ as God was the healer of all illnesses.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: