The URCSA church was not impressed that Timothy Xaba was Appointed ANC Chaplain. Image: Vgksa.org.za
A man of the cloth in Limpopo was reported to have lost his job as the priest of the local church because of his association with the ANC.
According to media reports, Reverend Timothy Xaba used to be the serving priest in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) until early July this year when he received communication from his employers advising him that his services were no longer required by the church organisation. Apparently, this started way back in 2013 when the former president of the republic, Nelson Mandela was still very ill in hospital. ThenANC approached several members of the clergy to organise their communities into prayer warriors for the then ailing former leader and statesman. Reverend Xaba did that with gusto and during the prayer sessions, he produced a moving prayer that had everyone in tears. He was subsequently appointed chaplain by the African National congress.
This would have signaled the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship with the ruling party as the revered member of the clergy was called upon to lead many ANC related religious functions in his new capacity. It appears that this did not please the powers that be in the URCSA, who quickly dispatched a letter to the priest which advised him that his contract had been terminated. In it, they informed him that it had been brought to their attention that the good priest had availed himself for functions that had to do with the ANC and that he had allowed himself to be appointed to the office of chaplain of the said party. This, they argue, meant that he was forfeiting his status as a minister of the “word” in the said church “with immediate effect”. They also requested that he return his license to practise as a priest.
In response to questions put to him about the saga, Reverend Timothy Xaba could only state that he was not being paid for his role as the chaplain for the African Nationsl Congress.
