Africa-Press – Namibia. THE executive director of health and social services, Ben Nangombe, has warned churches against delivering anti-Covid-19 vaccine messages.
Since the onset of the country’s vaccination campaign in March, Namibia has seen strong anti-vaccine sentiments spurred on by ignorance, misinformation, and the spreading of fake news.
Some of the country’s Pentecostal churches have joined the campaign against vaccines through church sermons during which congregants are warned of the potential doom that would befall them should they get vaccinated.
One such church in the Ohangwena region is the Shepherds of God Ministry, with pastor Eliphas Salomon at the helm. When The Namibian visited the church recently it was filled to capacity, with no adherence to Covid-19 regulations, such as mask wearing or the use of hand sanitisers.
Salomon during his sermon told congregants not to put their trust in doctors when it comes to Covid-19. “Doctors are liars,” he claimed. “They want to inject you with the anti-Christ,” said.
When yesterday approached for comment, he said: “When you are born again, you confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour. He is our protector, we cannot be worshipping sanitisers and masks. This whole Covid thing we believe is the work of the anti-Christ.
“We are Christians and we believe and trust in God only. I don’t trust newspapers either.”
One of the church’s congregants, Selma Shituwa (40), spoke to The Namibian. She has not been vaccinated, she said. “I am still waiting to see what happens to those who have been vaccinated,” she says.
Herman Festus (32) is a member of the Ondobe Pentecostal Church, and has not been vaccinated either. “We will put our faith and trust in God. There are too many stories surrounding this whole vaccine thing, and I will trust what my pastor preaches,” he said. Nangombe earlier this month said Namibians should remember Covid-19 is real and deadly.
“We saw severe cases during June and July 2021, when thousands of people died from the virus. We don’t want to go back there. We want people to be protected, and we must encourage people to get vaccinated, because not doing so would be irresponsible,” he said.
“Vaccination is a position adopted by the government to promote public health, and the vaccine is proven to be the safest way to protect people against severe Covid-19 and death. Therefore, as a government, we are calling on all stakeholders, including the church, to promote vaccination,” Nangombe said.
He said the ministry has noted with grave concern that the number of people who are being vaccinated has started to decrease. “Between July and September this year on a daily basis we had more than 3 000 people getting their shots, and more than 20 000 on a weekly basis from all regions of the country, but now we are recording figures of less than 2 000 daily, and 10 000 weekly,” Nangombe said.
Deolinda da Fonsenca, secretary general of the Association of Charismatic Pentecostal Churches of Namibia (ACPCN), says the organisation is not responsible for sermons or speeches by individual church members or affiliates.
“The position of the ACPCN should be clearly understood. There are many issues surrounding the choices people have to make about getting the vaccine or not.
“Some of the issues include indemnity for possible adverse effects, and substantial and open but simple and understandable dialogue and interrogation about the pros and cons of vaccines,” she said.
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