Devoted Magazine Issue 44

“But

Luke 14:13-14

Lives restored…

THIS EDITION OF DEVOTED IS NOT JUST A COLLECTION OF STORIES BUT A TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. MY JOURNEY, MARKED BY EXPLORING THE REASONS BEHIND THE UNFAIR

ATTACKS

ON PEOPLE’S REPUTATIONS, WORK, LEGACY, AND EVEN THE LIVELIHOODS OF DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, HAS SHAPED MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEDIA’S ROLE IN SOCIETY. I SHARE MY STORY AS A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS … IN THE HOPE THAT SOMEONE MAY LEARN FROM IT.

I stand for the truth and independently expose lies and deceit that hurt others, including in the media. If you tell the truth and stand up for injustices, you become a target—it’s inevitable. I’ve been a target for telling the truth many times, which will probably never end. But I believe you will fall for everything if you stand for nothing. Therefore, I will continue exposing lies and injustices. Most importantly, I will continue to give victims the platform to tell their side of the story and share stories of inspiration.

Over centuries, truthful news reporting has been under siege by evil individuals and influential media houses. They profit from lies and fabrications, leaving the public as the ultimate casualty. In my numerous quests for the truth, I’ve encountered countless individuals who the media’s abuse of power has victimised, and it’s truly heart-wrenching. Yet, the onus is on news consumers to choose a source that will provide them with accurate information. Regrettably, the public often struggles to discern the difference between truth and falsehood, and they continue supporting news outlets with hidden agendas.

ENVY AND GREED

There are a few main reasons why people spread false stories: If they can’t move up to your level, don’t have what you have, and want to follow your lifestyle but don’t have what it takes.

Tall trees catch the most wind! Envy is ugly, but its nephew, Greed, is worse! Reputational damage is a real thing. We see it on social media, and social media impacts news reporting.

Preparing for this edition of Devoted, I sit outside a missionary’s house at the KwaSizabantu mission station in KwaZulu-Natal. I came to help with the anniversary of 50 years of youth conferences. It is such an exceptional milestone that two years ago, when I first came to help with the two half-yearly youth conferences in 2022, I indicated that I would also like to be part of the 50th anniversary. It is now the fourth time I have helped at KwaSizabantu Youth Conferences... and what a lifechanging event each was!

As I look down on one of the most beautiful sceneries, I become acutely aware of how the hard work and successes of the people here have sparked the envy of others and to what heights. Mammon has, indeed, many followers. But I am also deeply troubled by how the media has allowed itself to be drawn into family feuds and a smear campaign which targeted some of the Mission’s management and the founder – for personal gain. The media published stories about them without doing their due diligence and tarnished the reputation of innocent people. Most importantly, the media neglected to make sure their informants were credible. This was an oversight, and the articles inside tell the story.

GOD’S WORK IN ACTION

God is undoubtedly at work here at the Mission, and evidence is everywhere. Far in the background, I see the latest addition to the aQuellé water factory, the rows and rows of hothouses housing the thousands of hectares of peppers. I can see the fields with vegetable gardens, the orchards of avocado trees, and others. All these diversified agricultural projects were set up with one goal: To feed the area’s people - physically and spiritually. And the Mission has been doing that for years - next year, it will be 55 years!

In the foreground are the rows of comfortable houses of the missionaries. Many of them worked together over the years with the head of the mission, Rev Erlo Stegen, who sadly passed away last year. The workers’ task was to help build a sustainable mission station to function independently and serve those in need. It has become one of the most significant missions on the continent, with many families who regard the mission station as their home. But all this was not smooth sailing, due to quotations like the following...

“Want to stop a cult? Then don’t buy aQuelle bottled water. Dear News24 reader, I have a small request. Before you buy your next bottle of aQuelle mineral of flavoured water, please read our investigative series on the KwaSizabantu Mission.”

(Adriaan Basson, editor-in-chief of News24)

But this was not a small request; it seemed malicious. It was a personal attack with a severe agenda and impacted the livelihood of thousands of disadvantaged community members who are dependent on the sales of the water. The investigative magazine Noseweek exposed how the so-called investigative series was corrupted at its core, but the media sadly fooled many into believing the falsehoods. Thousands of innocent people suffered because of ‘tabloid puffery’. The News24/ KwaSizabantu coverage had the storyline of a ‘crime novel’ containing fake news... with discredited whistleblowers at the centre of it all.

HOW DID I GET INVOLVED?

I am not a spokesperson for KwaSizabantu but a supporter of the truth. Since I first came to the Mission in 2020, I have changed and hopefully become a better person and journalist. I first visited the Mission in November of that year and knew nothing about them. I then planned to do a PhD on dishonest journalistic practices but needed a robust case study. An independent journalist told me about the News24 media attack on the Mission and the founder’s legacy. She claimed that the media attack was built on gossip and lies and that she had investigated the allegations in depth. She provided undisputable evidence.

She claimed the Mission was innocent. During my first visit, I realised I had the case study I was looking for, especially after an independent panel of law experts exonerated the Mission from all the serious allegations. However, News24 continued with its attacks. The Noseweek magazine challenged the News24 reports about KwaSizabantu (in Nose 250 and 251) and gave an alternative and trusted narrative to the sensationalised reporting. That is when I decided instead to write a book to create awareness of the red flags of unethical journalism. I did it by comparing the narrative of News24 with that of the trusted Noseweek.

Noseweek claimed that the editor-in-chief of News24 became involved in family disputes and was on a “mission with the mission”. After I first saw the News24 documentary, my first impression was that KwaSizabantu is a place of horror, as News24 wanted its audiences to believe. But over four years later, I learned that there was an agenda with the media attacks, and I started to expose it.

In the process, I also had to endure personal attacks for telling the truth. However, slowly but surely, the fake news was exposed, and the truth started to surface.

THE DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media are ruining many people’s lives. It also played a central role in the KwaSizabantu media coverage. The ‘icing on the corrupt cake’ was the Facebook postings of a private investigator. He launched the most extensive attack against the mission from his comfortable environment by posting two ‘press releases’ claiming that all the gossip stories were true. No proof was provided, but it caused a media frenzy. The rest, as claimed, is history.

As people come forward to tell the truth about the untruths the media repeatedly spreads, uplifting stories are also emerging. And this is where Devoted plays a role. In this edition, we are happy to share a wide variety of uplifting stories from people who were rejected by their people and society but found a safe home at KwaSizabantu. We also share stories of people who have turned negative experiences in their lives into positive experiences. Most importantly, we share the other sides of the stories mainstream media failed to share with you.

We hope our readers enjoy the stories, learn from them and share them with others...

Gerda

TESTED BY TRIALS

A MOTHER’S JOURNEY…

ESTHER BORNMAN IS A MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. HER JOURNEY AS A MISSIONARY IS A TESTAMENT TO HER UNWAVERING DEDICATION. HER SOFT-SPOKEN NATURE AND THE KINDNESS IN HER EYES DRAW PEOPLE TO HER, AND HER MOTHERLY QUALITIES ARE A BEACON OF STRENGTH. OUR WOMAN-TO-WOMAN DISCUSSIONS WERE ENLIGHTENING, AND I WAS INSPIRED BY HER RESILIENCE EACH TIME. COUNTLESS PEOPLE SPEAK HIGHLY OF HER. THIS IS ESTHER’S STORY.

BORNMAN

Esther has had her fair share of pain and disappointments.

Together with her husband and three young children, she moved to the KwaSizabantu Mission on 23 December 1986. Her husband, Daniel, felt called to work there. He was offered the position of headmaster at the Mission’s school, Domino Servite School. Sadly, a few weeks after the family moved, he suddenly died of a heart attack on 12 January 1987. His dreams of being a full-time missionary for KwaSizabantu were never fulfilled.

Later, two of her adult children chose to leave the Mission and pursue other interests, but Esther remains loyal to God’s work at KwaSizabantu. Her eldest daughter, Hanna, still live at the mission station. Hanna lives with her family, including her three married daughters, their husbands and babies. I had the pleasure of meeting them all. They are lovely and talented people who love what they are doing.

Esther says the people at KwaSizabantu accepted her and her family with open arms. They were there for her and her family when her husband died and in all her hours of need. It never changed over the years.

FAMILY LIFE AT KWASIZABANTU

Hundreds of families, like the Bornmans, have made KwaSizabantu their permanent home with their own or adopted children. At KwaSizabantu, the sense of community is palpable. Many of the Mission’s family circles include young or adult children, grandchildren, and older grandparents. It’s a place that welcomes strangers, visitors, broken people, and those in need, making everyone feel a part of something bigger.

The concept of family extends beyond blood ties. The Mission’s focus is on expanding these families and bringing others into the circle. They become a family in Christ.

The management team holds a positive attitude towards the elderly, encouraging families to bring their parents to the Mission for care. Each family lives as part of the greater community, with their own unique culture, rules, and dynamics. Their shared Christian beliefs and morals, rooted in the Bible, serve as a unifying force.

Like other families, the diverse KwaSizabantu families have challenges and children who do not want to adhere to the way of life there. Many people who have lived there over the years have broken away from their families because of different ideals. Missionary work is hard work, and it needs a unique and willing person who does the complex work others do not want to or cannot do. Some children have a problem with the discipline and structure of missionary life and rebel against it. Once they reach adulthood, some choose to stay and become missionaries. Others decide to leave and follow their dreams.

But it also happens that some do not fit in or leave with a grudge. These breakaways typically relate to the person’s attitude, and they blame others for their failures or mistakes. Some also hold grudges against those family members who choose to stay, often feeling disowned. Some even reject Christianity and return to the secular world.

THE BREAKAWAY

Sadly, this was also Esther’s experience with her youngest daughter, Erika. Erika willingly left the Mission decades ago to further her studies. Before she left, the management allegedly reprimanded her for wrongdoing. Subsequently, she went to the media with endless stories, which they, over time, published without checking facts and providing supportive evidence. It was a serious oversight.

All families have issues to solve from time to time, but Erika took it to another level. She hurt her mother and other people by sharing family secrets and gossip publicly. She later became the ‘face’ of the ongoing News24 onslaught against the Mission and its management. Sadly, the News24 ‘whistleblower’ did not give any proof of the countless allegations she shared widely on public platforms. Luckily, some alleged victims of KwaSizabantu came forward and exposed the lies the media published about them. And they provided undisputable evidence for the claims that the stories about them are untrue.

READ, FOR INSTANCE, THE STORIES ABOUT SAMMY ELOFF AND LOUISE PRETORIUS IN PREVIOUS ISSUES OF DEVOTED. THESE TWO WOMEN CAME FORWARD AFTER A FALSE CLAIM THAT THEY WERE HELD CAPTIVE AT KWASIZABANTU. UNFORTUNATELY, NEWS24 DID NOT APOLOGISE OR CORRECT THE FALSITIES IT PUBLISHED.

Esther knows the pain of a mother’s heart torn by a rebellious breakaway child who harbours grudges and even attacks the family on public and social media platforms. She’s felt the hurt of a child who took the wrong path and refused to acknowledge her mistakes but blames others for it. But Esther holds no grudge. She carries on with her work and with helping those in need. She keeps her head high and continues with making a positive difference in society. She is one of a kind.

THE DANGER OF HOLDING ON TO GRUDGES

Shouldn’t an ageing mother be enough reason to put grudges aside, make up, and move on?

What benefit can there be in washing a family’s dirty laundry in public? I believe Esther is worth fighting the good fight for! She deserves respect and is hurt and embarrassed by her daughter’s never-ending malicious attacks on the place where she works...

After the never-ending attacks on her personally, and on the Mission which she calls home, she eventually shared her testimony during one of the KwaSizabantu services. The testimony was meant to inspire people. She shared the truth, hoping others could learn from her experience. Sadly, her daughter took an excerpt out of context to tarnish her image as a devoted mother. But the choice of words tells it’s own story for those who cares:

“…bitterness has the power of the lie within it. And then it paints all the happenings in different colours, not the true colour any longer. And that happened in the youngest daughter’s life. The bitterness, the lie, the power of the lie entered into this root of bitterness that had grown. After some years, it burst open into the media.

But now, it was so mixed with lies that one could see this bitterness had changed the daughter’s perception; it changed her so much that she became a victim in her mind. So, her mother was to blame. Others were to blame because she had no responsibility because of these circumstances. And in this victim mentality, lies were quickly spoken because of the root of bitterness. She said that she was chased away from home. But that’s not the truth. She left out of her own.”

FINDING A SAFE HOME WITHIN A CARING COMMUNITY

Esther started working at the Mission’s school at KwaSizabantu on 20 January 1986 and held the position until December 2007.

From the beginning and during the Apartheid years, the school wanted to be inclusive. When it received permission to teach children from all cultures, Esther taught Afrikaans and History to Grade 8 and 9 pupils. Years later, she instructed Grade 11 and 12 pupils, and at the same time, she also taught the pre-school Grade R pupils.

Later, she was only involved with the English Gr R class, and from there, she was transferred to the Grade 1 class when their teacher suddenly left in the middle of the year. In 2003, she became a boarding mother for the high school girls, a job she enjoyed immensely and held until 2007. After 21 years, her involvement with the residence came to an end. When she turned 63, she stopped teaching and started counselling.

Esther said, “Ever since my husband died, the house of the founder and head of the Mission, the late Erlo Stegen, has been a natural haven for me. The Stegens became like my family. Kay Stegen was my precious friend, our school principal, and an outstanding counsellor. I learned a lot from her.

I helped her prepare food for countless youth and minister’s conferences when she was still alive.

Esther continues, “Only after Kay’s death did I get to know Lidia Dube. She started the youth conferences and CYPSA programme at the Mission. She became the person I started going to for advice and prayer. In 2009, I started working with Lidia at CYPSA. I helped set up our office and helped with administration and counselling. I still assist with devotionals and counselling for the men who come for help. I am also involved in counselling after the services in youth services and during the bi-annual youth conferences.”

My conversations with Ester were heartwarming and uplifting. She cares deeply for the broken and the needy.Her family at KwaSizabantu and the other residents speak highly of her. Despite her age, she still makes a huge difference in society and changes the lives of people rejected by their families and society. I asked her what message she had for her breakaway, troubled child, and with a soft voice and tears in her eyes, she replied, “I would tell her to correct what she had done to the Mission and a man of God. Erlo Stegen was only good to us like he did good to thousands of others during his lifetime. He did not deserve the onslaught on his legacy. She loved him once dearly – that was before she chose the wrong path. I never disowned her and will keep praying for her.”

GRATITUDE FOR ESTHER BORNMAN

“Thinking of my mother (Esther), there are qualities that come to mind: integrity, compassion, loyalty, love, unselfishness... and the list goes on. I am so grateful that my children and grandchildren also have her care and advice privilege. I desire that they and I might still learn from her for a long time. I treasure that she prays for me because I know the Lord hears her prayers. I love my mother and thank the Lord for her.”

- Hanna Pretorius

“I am a former addict and received counselling from Aunt Esther. She is a godly woman and spiritual mother to many. Like many others, I received counselling from her, and she helped me out of gangsterism and drugs. What makes her so unique is that she is well-informed and has exciting abilities. She understands my culture and the dragons that control me. Only after her counselling did the dragons leave me and many other challenges. She has excellent insight. Even after I left KwaSizabantu the first time, I could call her for help, and she was always ready and willing to help, even now that I am back, whenever I need her help. To me, she is many things – mother, grandmother, great-grandmother. I let her down once, but she did not leave me. She will never let others down; she even loves her biggest enemy.”

- Kurt van Eeden

“Esther Bornmann has been a dear friend of mine for many years. She is humble and genuine. In times of difficulty, she is a fundamental pillar of strength. To be in her company is uplifting. I am so thankful to the Lord for sending her across my path. My life is so much richer for knowing her.”

– Dr Elsa Bosman

“Aunt Esther Bornman is my spiritual mother. I learned how to walk in the light from her and to trust the Lord. I’ve also learned that a relationship with the Lord helps us deal with challenges; therefore, I always look at Jesus Christ. She lives a godly life, and with her calmness and motherly love, she shows us how to be good Christians. She shows us warmness, and from the first day, I realised that in her, We have a faithful Christian, in the complete sense of the word”.

– Keegan Pillay

Making the right life choices

THE CHOICES WE MAKE DAILY AFFECT OUR FUTURE AND DETERMINE OUR PATHS. WE ALL HAVE CHOICES AND MUST SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR CHOICES. GOOD CHOICES GIVE LIFE MEANING, WHILE BAD DECISIONS CAN DESTROY OUR LIVES AND THOSE CLOSE TO US. IN OUR INTERVIEWS WITH THE RECOVERED ADDICTS MENTIONED BELOW, WE DISCOVERED A COMMON THREAD IN THEIR LIVES: THE DELIBERATE CHOICES THEY MADE TO BETTER THEIR LIVES AND PUT ACTION TO THEIR DESIRE TO CHANGE THINGS.

LANCE

DE VOS

has a different story to tell than most former addicts. He came from Mitchells Plain but had a great upbringing, and his parents gave him everything he needed. His father was present and supported him all his life. Lance clarified that he believes people have choices to make: “The people of Mitchells Plain like to complain but do not like to work. They get SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) money, which is supposed to be used for the children. But they use it for bad things.”

Lance’s troubles started when he made the wrong choices, and he takes full responsibility for them. Life was good for him and his family. His father had his own business, and his mother was a teacher. He is the youngest of three brothers and the only living one. His two older brothers both died violently.

The three brothers grew up in a Christian family with biblical values. They went to church and held regular prayer meetings, but that did not prevent Lance from becoming addicted to drugs, wasting 18 years of his life – mainly his teenage and young adult years.

He took the gun to primary school one day to show it off to his friends but, thankfully, did not use it. He left school after Grade 11 and never finished his schooling.

Sadly, in 2000, his brother was brutally shot in front of him on a hospital porch. But that did not convince him to leave the gang, and as a result, he was in and out of jail for the next 18 years of his life. Among the many sentences, he got eight years for robbery, of which he served five years.

Even though he was using a wide variety of drugs at the time, it was the heroine that he got addicted to. Because of his upbringing, he always knew in the back of his mind that what he was doing was wrong. But he did not care and was looking forward to the next fix. “That is what drugs are doing to you,” he told me, “all you want is the pipe or the next fix. Even when my second brother died violently, also from a gunshot, I did not change my ways. But then my father got fed up with me because by then, I had sold all our belongings to sustain my drug habits. After that, I moved from shelter to shelter but kept on doing crime and using drugs.”

Lance wanted to follow in the footsteps of his eldest brother, who had become a gang member early in his life. From a very young age, he started to steal from his parents. They used to keep unique R5 coins in the house, and he began stealing from them, a few at a time. But the .38 revolver that his parents kept in their room intrigued him.

This all changed for Lance when the “CYPSA people” came to their shelter. Lance told me, “I was touched by the testimonies former drug addicts shared with us. But a preacher at Malmesbury named George has led me to the Lord. He could not walk, and he could not talk because of his illness (he had a stroke), but his life was a testimony of his love for the Lord. From 2017 until 2019, I was at the KwaSizabantu branch in Malmesbury, and from there, I came to Kranskop. It is eight years since I arrived at KwaSizabantu (in Kranskop), and I have not yet returned to my previous life.”

“The counselling I received lifted the weight off my shoulders, and I got rid of the hatred in me. I came to believe in the Lord, which made a big difference in my life. For the last five years, I have worked at the butchery at KwaSizabantu, and my counsellor is Dr Abu van Eeden. He also made a huge impact on my life. However, it was my choice to change my life, and I did, with the help of KwaSizabantu. I could not have done it without them.”

STORIES

JJ CHERISOOD MARTIN

is a people person who is very likeable. He grew up in Hanover Park. Today, he works as a receiving clerk for raw materials at the aQuellé water bottling plant at Kranskop in KwaZulu-Natal. He enjoys his work, but life has not always been plain sailing. JJ grew up with his grandparents. His father is a Muslim who never married his mother and was never there to support him in person. His grandparents provided food, a decent place to live, and all he needed as a child. During his school years, he saw other children with their parents and started to question the absence of his own. These questions became more and more part of his thinking. By age 16, to deal with the constant longing and pain, he was already a full-blown drug addict, he said.

I now know that it was only by the grace of God that I was never jailed. “Drugs for me at age 19 was a rolling pattern, in and out of rehabilitation, at significant costs to my family. These centres manipulate our parents because it is all about money for them. The doctors gave me methadone, and I got hooked on the prescribed medicine. The methadone kept me going until my next fix. Eventually, I ended up on the streets. A pastor wanted to help me a few times, but I was not willing to be helped. In the meantime, I was in Grade 12 twice but failed and never finished it. Only my grandfather supported me then; the rest of the family rejected me, and I do not blame them now. “My grandfather told me about the CYPSA programme and KwaSizabantu. A CYPSA group came to our community church, and the testimonies I heard made me think I needed to go there. The following weekend, I went to KwaSizabantu in Malmesbury, but I was smoked up. I first thought it was just another rehabilitation centre, but I had had enough of those. That Monday, I went to a shop and stole chocolate from them, but security caught me. They called the police, and the police took me, intending to jail me. I told them that I was going to a rehabilitation centre, and they let me go on the condition that I would change my life. I then went to the Malmesbury branch of KwaSizabantu.

“At one stage, I lived three lives simultaneously: my life at home, at school, and my life as a drug addict. It was exhausting because I had to keep the secret about my drug addiction. I was robbed at Hanover, which had an impact on me. My grandmother passed away when I was 19 years old, and my mother came back into my life after my grandmother passed away. But I told her that if she ever tells me again what to do, I will stab her and kill her. That is how I was at the time.

“I was in a Muslim rehabilitation centre for six months to detox, but that did not help me very much. I was assaulted many times because that is the way they deal with addictions. There, I was mentally traumatised. From there on, I was in and out of rehabilitation, but that made matters worse. I became hard against people and had a hatred for all people. I became bitter and held grudges against my parents, especially my mother, for abandoning me. My family tried all they could to help me. However, I became more and more addicted as I tried all sorts of drugs that were available to me. To support my addictions, I stole what was in the house and sold it. Shoplifting was my trademark, and later, I prostituted myself to be able to buy the next fix.

“That was in 2015. I first noticed the integration of black, white, and coloured people. I was not used to that. In the first week, I only observed. What I saw was that everybody was pleased. I started to look at everybody’s life, and I began to yearn for that. That Sunday, I watched a sermon by Rev Erlo Stegen, which they streamed back then. After the service, I went straight to Uncle George Oesh (a councillor at the Malmesbury branch of KwaSizabantu) and told him about my addictions and the problems I had. I told him all that went wrong in my life, and from there on, my life changed completely. I took this white man as my father, and I have never looked at colour in people since that day.

“Restitution helped me to love my mother again and apologise to all I wronged – even to my mother for wanting to kill her! Uncle George became ill in 2018 after he had a stroke, and I got off track again and left Malmesbury.

“In 2019, the doors opened for me to go to Malmesbury again, but I stayed away. A pastor then bought me a ticket to go to KwaSizabantu in Kranskop. At first, I did not want to stay there because of the cultural differences. There were too many isiZulu-speaking men at the CYPSA restoration building at the time, and I did not want to be with them. However, in December 2019, I committed myself to the program. After I finished it successfully, I asked to start working in the gardens.

“This place gave me life. It showed me love and acceptance when even my own family rejected me. My father even allowed me to pray at lunchtime when I visited him after I changed my life. KwaSizabantu gave me back my dignity and even allowed me to study. They played a huge role in my life; they sat with me day and night. They gave me the best food and a decent job at the water bottling plant. I am a changed man and have my dignity back.”

FYNN

is among the most interesting people I’ve met. He did not finish schooling but speaks eloquently like a highly educated man. He learned to speak isiZulu, which now helps him a lot at the KwaSizabantu Mission, in the heart of the Zulu community.

Kelvin works at the Mission’s water bottling plant, where he receives the raw material. But he grew up in Durban and lived in a block of flats with over 200 units. When his family moved there as a child, they were among the few coloured families. The rest of the flat community was made up of white people. He said he preferred to play with the white children from a young age. When he started school, he went to a school for coloured people.

“The community in the flats was civilised; they were good people.

We went to church and had regular Bible studies in the apartments. It was great fun to live there then, and everything was OK. But the white people were far more advanced than the others, and they smoked. So, their children also smoked, and I started to smoke with the white boys. Cigarette smoking is the gateway to drugs. It is not hard to move from smoking cigarettes to drugs, and that is what happened to me. “I befriended the outcasts and started to smoke weed with them, but I quickly surpassed them and started using drugs. I was only 13 years old at the time! I used drugs for almost the most significant part of my life – daily. On weekends, I went to Club Zoom, basically a club for young children, which started at half past ten at night and continued until six the following day.

Our flat was in the city centre, and things happened there and happened fast. Drugs, alcohol, sex, and gangsterism were the order of the day, and I was part of that fast life. Those things were normal to me.

“I started selling drugs at our flat building when I was around 14. By then, the flat also went down the drain as most of the white people began to emigrate because of the new dispensation and many challenges of the country. More coloured people moved in, and my customer base increased. At some stage, I did not pay the drug lord, and he came to my house and took most of our stuff as compensation –even things that belonged to my mother. The white detectives went to the flats, and because they did not take bribes like the others, they were strict with me. They were on my case! “I started to rob people as I needed money for drugs. I broke into houses, got caught and arrested. Because of my young age, they put me in a safe place. I carried a knife all the time and was a threat to society. I was a fighter and stabbed many people. For some time, I was in and out of a juvenile place of safety, and my drug use became worse. Once you start, you cannot stop, and I had a no-care attitude that prevented me from changing my life. I also stabbed gang members, and they waited patiently for me as they knew I would come of age and they could then get access to me.

“By the age of 17, I was a gang member and had to draw blood to earn my status. My instruction was to stab a group of people, and I had to do it to survive. They told me it was now payback time, and I owed them. You can say I was a habitual criminal, but in the gangs, I had a rank. I was working at the harbour at one time. I impregnated my wife when I was only 17, and she was 15. I was in prison when she gave birth to my first child. We got married along the line, and I was also in prison when my second and third child was born. I was so far into drugs that I was not there for my wife or my children.

STORIES UNTOLD KELVIN LEON

“When you are on drugs, there is no distinction between you and a mad person. You give up on life; that is a reality. You lose your soul – that is what drugs do to you. My life spiralled out of control. My mother lost her decent job. She had to take time off from work so many times to be in court because of my behaviour that she lost her job. In the end, she lost it all because she started to use alcohol. My brother followed in my footsteps, and she could not handle it anymore. My brother got killed as a result of his choice to follow in my footsteps.

“I was very clever and found many decent jobs over time. I caught on quickly and got nice money for my jobs. So, I had more money to do more drugs. I received numerous invitations from friends to join them at the CYPSA program at KwaSizabantu, but I was not interested. Instead, I went to another revival place for two months, but my wife could not cope alone, and I left. Even though I started to change, I then lapsed. This time, I fell very hard. I joined a numbers gang and got lost in the underworld.

“Things started to change for me on Friday, the 13th of January, 2023. By then, I had suffered severe paranoia as I had not slept for a very long time. I started hitchhiking to KwaSizabantu in Kranskop as I thought it was just around the corner. It took me a while and with some challenges, but the closer I got to Kranskop, the more concerned I became. I saw rural areas that did not look nice to me along the way. It was very off-putting.

But I got into a taxi on the last day and offered the driver my bag of clothes if he would take me to KwaSizabantu. He took me, and I got there very late at night. However, they put me in the CYPSA building for the night. That was the first peaceful sleep in a clean bed I had for a long time.

“When I saw the place the next day, the beauty of it captivated me. The landscaping, neat gardens and houses, the rondavels – all looked well maintained. I felt so touched at the 10 o’clock church service but also confused. I could not believe these strangers could welcome me so openly and with love. I was not used to being loved so unconditionally. While at the service, I had tears in my eyes for the first time. I chose to stay here after I finished the CYPSA programme.

“The people at KwaSizabantu accepted me. They fed me good food, and I started to gain weight — I was so skinny most of my life because of the drugs. KwaSizabantu restored my dignity and that of my family. They are doing God’s work, and you can see it; everywhere you walk on KwaSizabantu soil, you can see God is at work here. I have a twinkle in my eye again and am happy for the first time.” I asked Kelvin about the difference between the first place of restoration and KwaSizabantu for him. His reply was firm: “I chose to be here. I asked for help, and I asked for people here to pray for me. They do not judge you. They pray for you, and they accept you for who you are. They are happy, and I wanted to share in that happiness.”

CYPSA (the Concerned Young People of SA) is a youth restoration program founded and officially registered as an NPO in 2010. CYPSA operates from the KwaSizabantu Mission in Kranskop, KZN.

CYPSA distinguishes itself not as a rehabilitation centre but as a beacon of restoration. Recognising the intertwined nature of physical and spiritual well-being, the program is grounded in biblical principles and offers a path to spiritual healing free of charge. Participants commit to a structured program, embracing its rules and directives. Upon completion, they emerge equipped to navigate life’s challenges with resilience.

“The moral decay in our communities caused such great distress to us that we could not keep silent any longer. We have united in taking a stand against immorality, HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, crime, prostitution, pornography and abuse. Our primary aim is to restore society’s moral fibre and backbone and eradicate social ills.”

CYPSA stands as a beacon of hope in the battle against addiction, offering a comprehensive support system for individuals struggling with substance abuse. Through a multifaceted approach, they address the complex needs of people with an addiction, fostering a journey of recovery and empowerment.

want to know more ? reach us on: Tel: 032 481 5890/91/92 or visit the website: www.cypsa.org.za

PAYING IT FORWARD

BY TRANSFERRING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

THIS COLUMN IS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE RISE AFRICANS NEWSPAPER. THIS NEWSPAPER IS DOING OUTSTANDING WORK CELEBRATING THOSE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOCIETY. WE PROUDLY SHARE THE ARTICLES BELOW OF COMMUNITY BUILDERS MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN SOCIETY AND SALUTE THEM ALL.

MAFEMANI

ISRAEL MANGANYI,

or Mzet Magoda as he is fondly known, is a man of many roles. He is an author, motivator, storyteller, and the driving force behind the Mzet Magoda Movement. He founded this movement dedicated to assisting those in need in rural areas with school uniforms and food. Mafemani firmly believes that education is the key to effectively combatting poverty. His social media platforms testify to his commitment, where he shares his poems and guides the younger generation.

He is also the co-founder of Perfect Spell Publishing Company. Mafemani is from the Limpopo Province in a rural area called Rotterdam. It falls under the Mopani district. He also helps the Duvula Mahuntsi High School by donating his books, certificates, and sanitary towels to the teachers and learners. The title of his book is Xiyimo, which means ‘situation’. The book consists of poems based on accurate and imaginative real-life incidents.

As a young boy, Mafemani grappled with low selfesteem. His mother’s hearing impairment cast a shadow on his trust, hope, and self-confidence. It was only when he embraced her condition that his life took a turn for the better. Realising his intelligence, he penned a heartfelt poem dedicated to his mother, titled ‘I mhani WA mina’ or ‘She is my mother’. This poem is a testament to his deep love and appreciation for her.

Mafemani’s life journey has been a testament to his resilience. Despite the hardships he faced, he found the strength to start a project to feed the homeless and the poor. This act of gratitude towards those who supported his family during their difficult years reflect his character. He believes, “Those difficult years helped me to realise that with God’s help and the support from others, I will realise my dreams one day.”

Mafemani’s perspective on giving back to others is a powerful reminder of the importance of community support. He says, “People think giving back to others is all about being rewarded or blessed. For me, it is not what people think. I do it for my happiness and to bring a smile to others. I help young men understand what being a real man is. This is why I wrote the poem ‘Ndzi Wanuna’, meaning I’m a man. In short, aMani is a shade – the provider and protector. I am concerned about the increase in gender-based violence - the killings of women and children in our country. I can say something one day that will make a difference”.

>> on photo

Mafemani Israel Manganyi

ANNA MAMETSA

is from Moletjie Mabokelele, Limpopo Province in South Africa. Popularly known as Mother Theresa wa Moletjie, Anna donates school uniforms, shoes, sanitary pads, and ordinary and colouring pens to those in need.

“My mission is to restore smiles and instil confidence in our learners. I collect pre-loved clothes and food parcels for the needy, a small gesture that makes a big difference. Recognising the efforts of top-performing learners is my way of showing appreciation and fostering motivation. As part of my commitment to empowering women, I am attending a skills course and raising funds through baking”, she shared.

A nurse by profession, Anna is proud to have won multiple awards, including the Community Builder Award 2006 and Community Builder in Health Awards 2023 and feels honoured to be awarded as a Community Builder by Devoted Magazine.

“Many people say nurses are rude and cruel, but I am different. People love what I do to change our community’s lives. My son was bullied at school by a learner who used to take his pocket money and food. I went to school to complain, but my anger turned into tears when I found out that learners are struggling, I believe that things can change for the better if we all hold hands”, she concluded.

DIETMAR JOOSTEN

is the manager of Emseni Farming. Emseni is situated in the Kranskop area in beautiful KwaZulu-Natal. The farm is the perfect example of the blessing of giving unused land back to nature. Emseni turns unproductive areas on the farm into a bee-friendly flower paradise!

In line with its commitment to training local communities in sustainable farming, Dietmar initiated a honey project in collaboration with local farmers. This project, a true labour of love, has yielded tonnes of honey! The delicious honey is a testament to the irreplaceable role of bees as pollinators in agriculture, fruitgrowing, and horticulture.

They started a few years back with the eco-friendly endeavour, turning unused spaces into spaces with food for the bees. Beehives have been set up among the avocado tree orchards to assist with pollen movement between plants and to help the bees that produce avocado-flower honey.

You need solitary and communal bees for a healthy ecosystem and functioning agriculture. This was Emseni’s motivation for creating this bee-friendly paradise. They cleaned the unproductive areas and removed the rubbish, leaving some flowering weeds and cutting the grass to add soil. They do not destroy all the weeds but keep those beneficial to the bees. They also planted forage areas in the orchards that supply diverse diets for the bees. This enables the bees to strengthen their colonies and work in the orchards. Dietmar says they are careful about what they plant and explains the many benefits of a flowering plant paradise amongst their avocado orchards. At Emseni, the bees pollinate the avocados and produce tasty, darker-coloured avocado honey.

Bees are the lifeblood of pollination; without them, life as we know it would cease to exist. Yet, bees are threatened by habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. They need an environment free from pesticides, abundant water, floral resources, and temperate climates to thrive. Each one of us has the power to make a difference in bee conservation. By refraining from harming bees and planting a diverse mix of flowering plants in our gardens, we can contribute to their survival.

on photo <<

Dietmar Joosten

>>on photo

Anna Mametsa

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO VERIFY THE

CREDIBILITY OF NEWS INFORMANTS

AS A DILIGENT RESEARCHER, I HAVE SPENT FOUR YEARS DELVING INTO THE MEDIA ONSLAUGHT ON THE KWASIZABANTU MISSION. THIS IN-DEPTH STUDY HAS LED ME TO AGREE WITH THE WISE WORDS, “THE ETHIC OF THE JOURNALIST IS TO RECOGNISE ONE’S PREJUDICES AND BIASES AND AVOID GETTING THEM INTO PRINT.” THIS IS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT TO THE MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE KWASIZABANTU MISSION, WHICH I HAVE FOUND TO BE RIDDLED WITH BIASES AND LACKING IN OBJECTIVITY.

In the book A Journey to the Truth: The Case of KwaSizabantu Mission, I have zoomed into the News24/KwaSizabantu coverage and found problematic news reporting. The entire campaign, consisting of a documentary, several podcasts and never-ending news reports in the News24 digital newspaper, presented little well-researched news. The allegations were severe, and the onslaught is extraordinarily ongoing and comprehensive, showing an agenda.

The editor-in-chief promised the News24 reader that his so-called scoop was based on affidavits, but the investigative magazine Noseweek and an independent panel of law experts questioned the affidavits. The CRL Commission also debunked the false allegations. I found that many of these affidavits will not stand firm in a court of law because they do not adhere to legal principles related to affidavits.

Upon closer examination, it became clear that the informants and complainants were not impartial sources. They were disgruntled former workers and family members with plans to take over the Mission for its businesses. Their public calls to close the Mission and their agendas cast doubt on their credibility. This is especially true when considering their past actions, which were not without controversy. This is not a good recipe for a scoop.

Many of the statements made by key witnesses and the News24 whistleblowers turned out to be lies and fabrications told to them by convicted criminals. Some of the alleged victims of KwaSizabantu came forward and claimed they were not victims at all. They claiemd they were never held captive against their will as it was published in newspapers. They still willingly reside and work at the Mission and are happy to be there. Their testimonies are still available on the website: www.devotedmag.co.za With eye-catching headlines, scandalmongering, and sensationalism to smear specific people at KwaSizabantu, the media got dragged into family fallouts, claiming they had an award-winning scoop.

Some witnesses are more credible than others … and some are not credible. Sometimes, witnesses contradict each other, and many times, they contradict themselves. There is always a potential for errors, distortion, and bias regarding an information source. I found all that during my research of the News24/ KwaSizabantu coverage. This case demonstrates how important it is for a news reporter to scrutinise and evaluate a source of information carefully and insist on compelling evidence for each claim. This ensures that trusted information is presented to the public.

>> The above extract is from the book A Journey to the Truth: The Case of KwaSizabantu Mission. Read also the book review on the next page. Watch the following on the YouTube channel: REVELATION: How News24 got it wrong (5 video’s). Also: Our Journey, Their Story (2 podcasts) Note

MISSION OF MALICE

MY EXODUS FROM KWASIZABANTU MISSION

I FOUND THIS BOOK EXTRAORDINARILY ONE-SIDED. IT DEALS WITH THE AUTHOR, ERIKA BORNMAN’S ‘ESCAPE’ FROM KWASIZABANTU DECADES AGO. THE AUTHOR IS INCREDIBLY VOCAL ABOUT HER RESENTMENT OF KWASIZABANTU AND ITS FOUNDER, BUT THE USE OF VILE LANGUAGE AND TOXIC COMMENTS IN THE BOOK (ALSO ON NATIONAL TELEVISION) IS DISTASTEFUL.

The unnecessary sharing of personal promiscuous sexual experiences, as well as a toxic relationship with a married man, is not for the faint-hearted. The book has an overdose of old, unfounded stories; hearsay; subjective reports of people who themselves have skeletons in their closets; exposing dirty laundry of families and stories about family fall-outs; one-sided stories from disgruntled former workers of KwaSizabantu and stories of people who were in the wrong and left the Mission under a cloud.

The author slandered her mother in the book and on various online platforms. The media did not bother to give the accused a right to reply. So, I asked the author’s mother, Esther Bornman, who raised her, to review the book. The review below provides context on some of the author’s unfounded allegations in the book, which she repeated on various public platforms. Others are dealt with in podcasts and will also be dealt with in a series that exposes fake news and unethical journalism.

“Where does one begin to tell the truth about the false allegations in the media? The media has a broad stream of the author’s nonstop unfounded accusations and malicious statements against Kwasizabantu. My choice to speak the truth fell on the book Mission of Malice, My Exodus from KwaSizabantu Mission. The book’s title prepared me for the distortion of facts, as in the News24 attacks on the mission of which she is the face of its campaign, to substantiate her evidence for such a title.

“First, I asked myself the questions I ask when I write a book review: What does it tell me about the author? Why did she publish the book? What does she want to convey to me as a reader? What does she offer to claim my time and sympathy as a reader?

“It was not difficult to conclude that one of the reasons for the book’s creation is that the writer wanted to arouse sympathy for herself. She created an imaginary character, a nine-year-old girl, and she herself plays the role with a typical victim mentality. One realises that the victim’s status has become her identity and that she cannot renounce it because then she loses her identity. Also, the source from which she can get sympathy from others is cut off. The victim’s picture also makes her unique in her own eyes. An example is in Chapter 9 on page 25 when a friend (with insight into her actions, I may add) spoke to her:

If you want to know the real Esther Bornman, not the one framed in the above book (and on public platforms) as an evil person, you can read more about her on the website www.heartatrest.net and in the column Testimony. Read also elsewhere how she helped many to change their lives for the better. She is highly appreciated by countless people. More relevations about this case is made in the podcast series: Our Journey, Their Stories. Watch it on YouTube.

Afterwards, he sat me down and told me that I really needed to put my past behind me. Let it go once and for all. “I cannot put the past behind me, for the past is living inside me. It is in the past that my character and my responses were formed. I get so angry when people tell me that I must move on...”

“In a fiery letter to her friend, this little character appears often, and she calls her ‘our little girl’. The author defends her victim identity against the one who dared to advise her to forget her past. That letter confirms my statement that she finds her identity in her victim status, a constant theme throughout the book.

“A second reason for the book, one cannot overlook either. It is noticeable that she wants to prove to the reader that Kwasizabantu and the management are bad. Everything she writes is aimed at proving that we are dealing here with a cult - a mission of malice. However, she writes from a 50-plus-year-old’s purposeful point of view with the emotions of a 50-plus-year-old, and she builds these into the experiences of her nine-year-old character. The dishonesty and twistedness with which the narratives are permeated is also a well-known and common characteristic of people who see themselves as victims and place the blame for their condition and their actions on others. She excels in that; it shows up everywhere in what she writes and speaks.”

(TO BE CONTINUED)

>> ON PHOTO

The Bornman family

AMAZULU FC AND AQUELLÉ

A GOOD MATCH!

The twentieth of May dawned bright and sunny at Kwasizabantu Mission, home of aQuellé, in anticipation of the visit by the oldest football club in the South African Premier League, Amazulu FC. The team arrived mid-morning to tour the Mission, aQuellé bottling plant, and various associated projects, and they hosted a training clinic for some local teams. Sharon Combrink gave us an update on the visit.

“Amazulu FC arrived on site, comprising the players, coaches, technical and office staff, and the club’s CEO, Sinenjabulo Zungu-Ntuli. They began their tour at the local school, Domino Servite. The learners and staff gathered to welcome the team with several musical items, which were received with acclaim. The school was then introduced to all the players, coaches, and staff.

“After visiting the church auditorium, the team toured the newest aQuellé bottling plant. As aQuellé is Amazulu FC’s hydration partner, the team saw first-hand where their bottles of aQuellé ViV come from! The staff members, thrilled to recognize the much-loved soccer team, were equally delighted to host them.

“Learners from four local schools were invited to a training session with the professionals at a sports ground in the nearby community. The players, with their infectious enthusiasm, spent time coaching the learners in various skills needed to improve their game and taught them warm-up strategies and playing techniques. Members from the area gathered to watch the entertaining training session and friendly matches, refereed and coached by some of their favourite players. Many autographs were eagerly distributed, and photos were taken to document the memorable occasion.

“A hearty meal ended the unforgettable day. Michael Ngubane of aQuellé ended the day on high note when he said, “It is inspiring to see a professional soccer team take an interest in our local communities and to witness them training and encouraging the youth to build a better future. We look forward to our continued partnership with Amazulu FC and wish them well as they end the PSL season.”

TO AQUELLÉ, SOUTH AFRICA’S NO1 BOTTLED WATER

…FOR RECEIVING YET ANOTHER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

It is now official – aQuellé was voted South Africa’s most-loved bottled water brand. The famous aQuellé has received yet another award – this time as a category winner in the Askafrika ICON brands 2023/2024.

aQuellé has grown tremendously over the last 25 years and is widely regarded as the forerunner in excellence and innovation across every category of the packaged water industry. The brand has been awarded several times. It is a community-based organisation which pays it forward in various ways: through humanitarian work, sponsorship, outreach, and the very successful sustainable community clean-ups, the It’s Khula to Clean Up Together campaign.

“Keep up the good work, and we hope you will grow from strength to strength so you can continue making a positive difference in the community!”

THE MOST LOVD WATER BRAND

Congratulations

KwaSizabantu Mission Youth Conferences

Growth does not happen by accident – it takes a visionary leader, hard work, perseverance and dedication.

Congratulations on your anniversary. God has truly blessed you abundantly with insight and visionary projects. May God grant you the grace and strength to continue the good work that you have started. Thank you for caring about our young people and for reaching out to those in need.

YOU ARE SURELY A PRIME EXAMPLE OF CARING FOR OTHERS THAT THE REST OF US SHOULD FOLLOW.

From the Devoted team