Community welcome wayward pastor back from prison

Chief Edson Ramadi of Thiswiswini Tshakhuma has urged his community to learn to forgive those who have wronged them and ended up in jail to serve their sentences.

Ramadi was speaking during a function to welcome back home Prophet Ndivhuwo Magodi, leader of the Prophetic and Healing Ministry at Khwekhwe. The event, attended by different stakeholders in the community, his church and family members, was held at his home in Tshakhuma Senzi on Saturday.

Magodi was sentenced to 20 months in prison for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm in 2017 and was released from the Thohoyandou Correctional Centre a fortnight ago.

One of the organisers of the event, Mr Mpho Tshikalange of The Empowerment Movement for the People and Offenders, said communities had a negative attitude towards ex-offenders and that that made released prisoners not feel welcome. "Our organization has taken it upon ourselves to see that they are well reintegrated into their communities. These people have been corrected and are part of the community again after paying for their wrongs.”

He added that they should be made to feel welcome and supported, so that they did not commit crimes again. “Our aim as an organisation is to spread countrywide with the aim of creating a crime-free country," he said.

Chief Ramadi said he attended the function to welcome Mahosi back personally, because he heard that he had mended his wicked ways. "I used to hear a lot of bad about you, but today I am very happy that you came back a changed man.”

He urged the community to give him a second chance in life “and I believe that he will follow God's instruction and not fall for the temptation of money. I now command him not to be counted among these fake prophets that we hear about these days".

Magodi's mother, Mushaisano, could not hide her joy. "The arrest and sentencing of my son were a very painful experience for our family, but we prayed and cried to God. We are very happy because he is back and his congregation, community and leadership of this area have accepted him back. My urge is that parents should not give up on their children, but to pray for them," she said.

Prophet Ezekiel Tshikalange and spiritual worker Joseph Mbadi preached during the ceremony. Magodi thanked all for rallying behind him in turbulent times and for welcoming him back in that manner.

Date:14 March 2019

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

Read: 2204