Durban - Matric pupils have been warned not to be deceived by a “prophet” selling pens for R10, with the promise they would help them excel.
Durban “Bishop” Hamilton Nala – who made news after selling “Faith Water” he claimed cured HIV/Aids – is now back with a miracle pass-better pen.
But student organisation Cosas and the IFP have warned students not to be hoodwinked.
Cosas provincial secretary Siya Phakathi called on matrics to be alert and said no pen would perform miracles.
“There is no God-given pen nor devil-given one that can perform such miracles. Pupils must just study smart and hard so that they pass.
“The problem is that some people have seen Christianity as a business of making good fast cash,” he said.
Nala did not respond to a request for comment when approached on Thursday. But soon after receiving the e-mail, he posted on his Facebook page in isiZulu that he was not misleading pupils and said his accusers were drunk.
He said he would address the issue at a vigil on Friday night.
The IFP spokeswoman for education, Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa, said they were concerned by the claims made by Nala. “We are very perturbed by these claims made by Bishop Nala because his claims are misleading and this will have a negative impact in the lives of matric pupils.
“We are afraid this will result in too many pupils forgetting their books and rushing to buy these so-called miracle pens.
“Pupils must know the truth that they will only pass their exams if they study,” she said.
Madlopha-Mthethwa said the country had become a haven for charlatans who abused unsuspecting citizens for self-enrichment.
“We are facing a problem of self-styled leaders, accorded near-divine status, urging their followers to participate in activities that are harmful to their well-being. These followers blindly trust some pastors’ preposterous claims of miracles,” she said.
“Their matric year represents a pivotal time in their lives and offers the opportunity to set the tone for their future life,” she said.
Matric pupils are set to write their physical science matric paper one today and paper two on Monday.
Nala, who used the title “Dr HQ Nala” on his bottled faith water, despite only having completed Grade 1, told the Daily News in 2013 the water could also be used to treat diabetes and blood pressure, cure the deaf, help the lame to walk and improve school pass rates.
In February this year, Nala told the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities in Durban that God had ordained him King of the plentiologist nation and he was neither a Christian nor a pastor.