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BUS RANK PREACHERS COVID-19 CHALLENGE

08/02/2021 09:15:00 BY VUYILE DLAMINI

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MANZINI – Bus rank pastors, as they are known, have dispelled claims made by public transport operators that they are one of the superspreaders of COVID-19.

Most people are familiar with bus rank pastors, especially those who use the Manzini Bus Rank as a means to transit to their homes or workplaces in the outskirts of the region.

In most occurrences, the pastors travel across the country preaching the Word of God, while on board public transport vehicles with commuters as their audience.

It is worth mentioning that this is not a new concept as many pastors have utilised public transport to spread the gospel for many years.

However, with the recent threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the public, along with public transport operators, have expressed their concerns over the noble work of these bus rank pastors.

Bus rank marshal Bhekumuzi Sithole said before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the number of bus rank pastors was reasonable.

However, Sithole claimed that since the pandemic, the numbers have almost tripled, especially after the most recent ban on religious gatherings.

Sithole claimed that on average, before the emergence of the pandemic, about 20 pastors passed through the bus rank and on board public transport.

However, according to Sithole, during the second wave of the pandemic, about 40 – 50 pastors arrived through the bus rank, and on board public transport.

“In the beginning, we noticed that there were new faces of pastors who used public transport as their altar. We did not have an issue with this, as they were also going about the business that they believe in. However, it started becoming a challenge when we noticed that they did not wear face masks while preaching,” Sithole explained.

Sithole, along with some of his colleagues, expressed how challenging the COVID-19 pandemic has been to the transport industry, with some of the revised COVID-19 restrictions, stating that only 80 per cent carrying capacity was allowed in public transport vehicles.

They explained that with the transport industry taking into consideration the safety of its customers by purchasing sanitisers and ensuring social distancing within their vehicles, the defiance of simple COVID-19 regulations by the pastors was a challenge.

According to some bus drivers, who usually transport the pastors, they have to kick out some of the bus rank pastors from their vehicles, as they would board the vehicles as though they were passengers.

However, according to the drivers, a few minutes into the trip, the pastors would take off their face masks and start preaching.

They explained that they received complaints from their customers every day about the pastors possibly infecting them with COVID-19, yet the pastors never adhere to their warnings.

One bus driver, who identified himself as Methula, said on a daily basis, every 20 minutes a bus rank pastor would board their vehicles, on some occasions several times before the vehicles left the bus rank.

Methula explained that they have warned not only pastors, but also vendors who boarded their vehicles to sell their wares, as there was always the threat of contracting the virus through the exchange of money.

He expressed that even the pastors who accepted offerings from numerous members of the public exposed themselves to the virus and in turn, would spread it to more people.

The bus drivers added that instead of accepting offerings from members of the public, the pastors should instead preach the Word of God and then alight from the vehicles while also adhering to COVID-19 regulations.

“We have tried to warn them to at least adhere by using sanitisers and wear their masks, however, they continue to do as they please. If they were really doing the Lord’s work, they should put into consideration the safety of their audience,” they expressed.

In a joint statement made by the country’s three Christian church bodies last Friday, the church bodies sternly advised public transport operators to immediately call police officers in the event that any pastors were found to be defying government health regulations by preaching at the bus rank.