The pastor reassured his followers they would be spared infection.
“This virus is caused by the devil, and we will not die because we have the son,” said Mayunga, referring to Jesus Christ. A chorus of “Amens” rang out in response from the congregants.
“In the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command coronavirus and all powers of darkness to leave your people.”
Mayunga then made a snake-like hiss and laid hands on his congregants, asking the “coronavirus devil” in them to come out or to say the name of Jesus. One woman fell on her back and claimed to have manifested symptoms of COVID-19 such as a headache and shortness of breath.
Please pray… for President Donald Trump to be re-elected….
It seems bizarre that a black African Christian would support an overt racist who disdains people who come from “shithole countries”.
Meshoe exemplifies a type of political and theological reasoning among African evangelical Christians. He was praying for Trump’s victory because he echoes the views of many African evangelicals in relation to human sexuality, reproductive rights (anti-abortion), nationalism and capitalism. For example, Bishop Mark Kariuki of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya claimed that a Trump victory would be a vote in favour of “good morals”.
According to Harvard researcher Damaris Parsitau, such views are shared by evangelical leaders in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Uganda.