One South African church devout apparently took his conviction to the extreme and had the signature worship trademark of spraying insecticide, instead of holy water, to his followers. Thankfully, he is now legally convicted of assault and is facing punishment.
Named Lethebo Rabalago and popularly known as the Doom Pastor, his crime took place as far back as 2016 when he claimed that the industrial-strength aerosol spray insect repellent he used could heal cancer and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). He then proceeded to spray his followers with it as they lined up for what they thought was a legitimate cure.
Nearly two years later, Rabalago has been found guilty, per the Agricultural Stock Remedies Act of South Africa, and the court ruled him as a violator of the said law. However, he has yet to face a sentence after the verdict was handed to him by the Mookgopong Magistrates Court in Limpopo province. The charges also came from five people out of dozens who felt violated after the church session.
According to the complainants, all of them were sprayed with the insecticide on the face, which was enough to count as a violation, and some even claimed persistent side effects of the insect repellent such as coughing for more than seven months. There have also been several photos circulating on Facebook in which the Doom Pastor can be seen spraying the insecticide directly to the eyes and various body parts of his followers.
As for why it took more than a year for him to be found guilty, Rabalago's case was reportedly delayed on several occasions, one instance of delay being attributed to his lawyer forgetting his eyeglasses.
Rabalago is known for being the leader of the Mount Zion General Assembly (MZGA), which is still conducting its practices despite the verdict for Rabalago. Meanwhile, Rabalago reasoned that it was "God" who directed him to spray insecticide on his congregation to heal them of their illnesses, stating that "Everything here on Earth belongs to God. Petrol belongs to God. Doom belongs to God."
