Metro

South African police ‘rescue’ lady from Nigerian Pastor

A Nigerian Pastor, Peterside Idah, who once played for the Nigerian national football team, and now resides in South Africa, has been fingered in a row involving a South African lady

Published

6 years ago

June 27, 2018

Africa News Watch

A Nigerian Pastor, Peterside Idah, who once played for the Nigerian national football team, and now resides in South Africa, has been fingered in a row involving a South African lady.

Police in Gauteng, South Africa, say they have rescued a young woman from the home of the ex-Nigerian goalkeeper- turned pastor. The ‘rescue’ came after the lady’s mother, Suzan Mabelane, claimed her daughter was held against her will.

Mabelane claims that her 21-year-old daughter Pabalelo, started acting strangely since joining Peterside’s Christ Ambassador Church last December.

According to Mabelane, Peterside accused her and her mother of witchcraft, claiming they tried to introduce her daughter to witchcraft practices, an allegation which they both denied.

Sources say that Peterside went as far as deposing an affidavit at the Kempton Park police station appointing himself as the girl’s legal guardian, allegedly without the mother’s consent.

In a copy of the affidavit, Peterside wrote that he was staying with Mabelane’s daughter Pabalelo.

However, Mabelane alleged that the pastor had hypnotised her daughter and that she no longer wanted anything to do with her family.

“Imagine not knowing or seeing your daughter for five months and when you find out where she is, a pastor tells you that she is no longer your child. The worst thing was when he called me a witch because I was asking him to give me my child back.” said Mabelane.

“She asked me to give her R8 000 to pay a deposit for a flat but when I asked her how she was going to pay rent, she said God will provide. That’s when I started to get worried,” she added.

The police would have none of it and ordered Pabalelo to pack her bags.

Police spokesman Kay Makhubele confirmed that the provincial police commissioner had instructed police to intervene in the squabble between Peterside and Mabelane.

“The police successfully rescued a girl from a pastor’s house in Kempton Park …”
He said the police were now receiving conflicting stories, with the girl now claiming that she ran to the pastor’s house after her mother and her granny tried to force her to undergo traditional training to become a sangoma.

In his response, Pastor Peter side said:

“I don’t have to answer to you my friend [I am] a journalist, all I ask is do your job as a pro and do an investigation and make sure you come up with the truth ’cause you will meet me in court if you publish what is not the truth and I will keep our conversation as evidence.

If you are wise like I believe you are, call the police officer that came to my house and ask them what truth they found out, it will help you my friend. And pls, come to our church on Sunday and find out what kind of cult you think we are.

Pls, am blocking you know (sic). And am enjoying my football [in Russia]. If you need more info on what to write, my name is Idah Peterside I played for Morocca (sic) Swallows and Tembisa Classic and I played football for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, since you have been sent to tarnish the image I have built in South Africa for twenty years because of xenophobia.

Did I add that the police have called me to apologize because they found out that the woman is lying because I will open a case against them.

Is it wrong to be a foreigner in South Africa?”

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Metro

Zambia: President Hichilema sacks three Constitutional Court judges

Published

1 day ago

October 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has finally sacked three Constitutional Court judges whom he had earlier placed on suspension.

The affected judges, whose sacks are with immediate effect according to a statement by State House Chief Communications Specialist, Clayson Hamasaka, are Anne Sitali, Mungeni Mulenga, and Palan Mulonda.

Hamasaka, who announced the decision in a statement on Sunday evening, stated that the President acted on a recommendation from the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC).

“The removal of the judges is in exercise of the powers vested in the President under Article 143 (b) and (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia,” said Hamasaka.

Before their dismissal, the three judges had been suspended by President Hichilema who had then sought a judicial review from the Lusaka High Court, arguing that their suspension violated the principle of res judicata, meaning the case had already been settled.

The judges had also contended that the complaint, initially filed by Moses Kalonde, stemmed from the 2016 presidential election petition between Hichilema and former President Edgar Lungu, which was concluded in 2017.

They had sought to quash the JCC’s decision to reopen the matter, asserting that earlier complaints, resolved by Emmanuel Mtonga, Alfred Chims Mbewe, and Douglas Syakalima, had settled it.

The judges also requested a stay of the JCC proceedings, scheduled for 30 September, and the suspension itself, pending the High Court’s decision.

The judges had also called for an expedited hearing, with costs to be borne by the Attorney General, represented by Messrs Sam Chisulo and Company.

However, the court quickly dismissed their case, ruling that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Metro

Nigeria confirms supplying 24-hr power to Togo, Benin, Niger

Published

2 days ago

October 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Despite its inability to provide steady electricity for Nigerians amid regular collapse of the national grid, Nigeria’s electricity regulatory body, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), says Nigeria supplies 24-hour electricity to neighbouring Togo, Benin and Niger.

The Managing Director and CEO of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, who disclosed this in an interview programme on Sunday night, confessed that the three neighbouring countries enjoyed regular power supplied by Nigeria.

“We supply Togo, Benin, and Niger. They get power from Nigeria on a 24-hour basis, and they are paying for it,” Abdulaziz stated during the programme.

When he was asked why many Nigerians do not enjoy uninterrupted power like the residents of the countries, the TCN CEO said there are some Nigerians who enjoy 24-hour electricity.

“Nigerians are getting 24-hour supply, but it’s not everyone. Those in Band A receive 20-22 hours of power supply.”

Abdulaziz however, expressed optimism about achieving a consistent electricity supply across Nigeria within five years.

“I am telling you we can get consistent power supply in less than five years. The new minister is looking at the problems, he is not doing cosmetic showdowns.

“If there is a system collapse, it doesn’t mean all the problems are from TCN, it can be from generation, it can be from transmission it can be from distribution. Some of these can also come from disaster. You cannot say it is the fault of the TCN just like that. TCN are in charge of managing the grid.

“People have to understand the difference between the TCN and Nepa. When we were Nepa, we were the ones doing the generation, transmission, distribution and marketing.

“But now we are only doing one leg which is transmission. But there could be issues in all other sectors which are the generation and the distribution. But people only know Nepa and they think TCN is NEPA and they put the blame on TCN.

“Most of the equipment we use is over 50 years old. Electricity is now expensive in Nigeria, we feel it is expensive because we are getting it at a cheaper price. If you go to other African countries, go to Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger; Nigeria is cheaper,” he stated.