BUILDING THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD

MBABANE – Volunteers from the Jehovah’s Witnesses movement are building a 160-seat hall in Nkoyoyo, which will be able to resist mild earth tremors.
Jehovah’s Witnesses refer to their congregating buildings as ‘Kingdom halls’.

The hall, whose construction was started during early February, 2014 is expected to be completed in May.
At least 60 volunteers, young and old joined in to build the hall.
Obadiah Mthupha, one of the elders at the church, said each member contributed their skills to building the hall which will be the second of its type in Swaziland.

Costs

He said because of their voluntary efforts, there will be no labour costs incurred.
Mthupha said the hall will have a floating concrete slab as part of its foundation.
“We did not dig the foundation like it is done with other buildings,” he said.
He said the land was first pressed then flattened.

Mthupha then said a concrete slab was then laid over the surface to give the impression of a floating slab.
He said with this kind of design, the building will be able to resist some earth tremours which can cause ordinary structures to develop cracks.
Mthupha said all the people taking part in the building of the hall were volunteers who were also members of the movement.
He said volunteers from South Africa and the United States of America taught local congregants how to build the hall.

Mthupha said a similar structure was also built at Sigangeni by Jehovah’s Witnesses although it is smaller than the one at Nkoyoyo.
John Lucas, who is a volunteer from the USA, said the material used to build the hall was brought into the country from South Africa.
He said the type of structure being built was meant to be 99 per cent maintenance free.

Lucas said only facebrick, also popularly known locally as ‘Langa Bricks’  were used to build the hall.
He said this type was chosen because the wall did not re    quire a lot of maintenance.

Lucas said this type of construction is used by Jehovah’s witnesses worldwide. “We also want to make sure that regardless of where the witnesses are, they use standard structures,” he said.
He said by volunteering to build the structures, it was also a type of worship for congregants.
He said it was a form of giving.

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