THE NYAOPE smoker casually flicked a zol stompie into the grass and unleashed the fires of hell onto the church.
The spoja set fire to the grass, which crawled over to the church tent.
Then the flames shot into the sky, reducing the and music instruments to ashes. The fire destroyed everything inside.
Members of the El Shaddai Christian Church in Mandela section of Etwatwa, Ekurhuleni, managed to get a tent for yesterday’s service, but it was conducted mostly in silence.
Church member Sinara Lelosa said the fire burned all the music instruments including speakers, keyboards and amplifiers.
The church also lost 900 chairs and other items.
“Everything was burned and two members who guard the property almost died in the fire,” she said.
Sinara said the nyaope addicts, known ekasi as “abonomayini bozza yam”, used to stay at the old electricity pylon and would smoke any time of the day or night.
Mfundisi Paulos Malaza said the damage was estimated at R200 000.
As if destroying the church wasn’t enough, the destructive nyaope addicts came back on Saturday night.
Sinara said when they woke up in the morning, they found some of the burned material gone.
“They burned our church and ran away, and they have the arrogance to come here to steal again,” said any angry church member.
Sinara said the two new speakers cost them R25 000 each.
Mduduzi Mtshali, a church member who guards the church, said he and the other person with whom he guards the church were woken by smoke. The other person was already choking.
“He was taken outside to get help,” he said.
When firefighters arrived there was little to save.
“Residents tried to extinguish the fire before the ambulance arrived but it was too strong,” he said.
Captain Mega Ndobe said the church must open a case so the matter could be investigated.
Ekurhuleni emergency services spokesman , William Ntladi, said he could only get information regarding the fire on Monday.
