MONEY LAUNDERING VS CHURCH: BANK TITHES A FAVOUR - PASTOR

MBABANE - “Taking the money to a bank is a favour on its own!”

This is the reaction of one pastor regarding the now controversial issue regarding churches and whether some of the practices do not constitute money laundering. This, after Governor of the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) Majozi Sithole made an example of certain practices that could constitute money laundering. It came to light that some activities of the church in relation to money they banked against what was received as offering, could be a conduit for money laundering. According to Apostle Simon Ngwenya, taking the money to a bank was a favour on its own as he claimed it was supposed to stay in church initially.

He said money collected as offering was meant to be kept in the house of the Lord. “If they decide to put tithes in banks, it is normally for safety purposes, otherwise church is where it is supposed to stay,” he said in an interview. When asked if they normally asked their congregation as to where they got the money should it come in big amounts, the apostle was quick to point out that whosoever linked the church with money laundering was attracting a curse.

Malachi

He quoted the book of Malachi 3:10 which reads, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out for you a blessing without measure.” Meanwhile, Bishop Samson Hlatjwako said he did not have knowledge of the said money laundering purportedly taking place in churches. He said as far as he was concerned, churches had structures and people responsible for taking money, who are then directed on how it should be used. “We have no idea as to how we are connected to the act (of money laundering),” he said.

Pastor Bongani Nkambule, on the other hand, said money was collected on Sundays and there was no way it would be banked on that day. This is the reason that churches only visit the banks mid-week.

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