Church of Pentecost Chairman Apostle Nyamekye Reveals He Almost Died in South Africa

• Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, disclosed that he nearly lost his life during his six years living in South Africa
• He told Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa about two separate armed robbery incidents he personally experienced in the country
• Apostle Nyamekye also rushed back to South Africa after a church deacon was kidnapped during an offering collection

Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, has opened up about harrowing encounters he survived during the years he lived in South Africa, revealing that armed robbers twice targeted him and that the second attack came close to costing him his life.

The disclosure came during a courtesy visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to The Church of Pentecost headquarters at La in Accra.

Nyamekye told the minister that his roughly six years in South Africa were marked by serious personal security threats, including two separate confrontations with armed robbers.

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"I lived in South Africa for about six years and I suffered a lot from some of these things. I almost died in South Africa. Two times, I was accosted by armed robbers. The last one was too dangerous. When I was leaving South Africa, my luggage was stolen," he recounted.

He added that his personal history with the country meant he was ideally placed to respond when a senior church official was abducted there in recent times:

"And then recently, I had to rush to South Africa, about a year plus ago, when our national deacon was kidnapped in the midst of an offering and I had to rush to South Africa."

"I was the right person to go, not because I was a chairman, but because they knew that I have also suffered from some of these things so I needed to go in there and speak."

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Apostle Nyamekye said living through those experiences gave him a first-hand perspective on the difficulties faced by Ghanaians and other foreign nationals residing in South Africa, particularly at a time when xenophobic violence has returned to public attention.

South Africa has in recent times seen a wave of attacks targeting non-citizens, with businesses and properties belonging to foreign nationals destroyed and lives placed under threat.

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The candid account from one of Ghana's most prominent religious leaders underscores the very real dangers many Ghanaians face abroad, and signals the urgency with which church and government officials are engaging on the issue of the safety of Ghanaian nationals in South Africa.

Church of Pentecost elder kidnapped and released

YEN.com.gh reported in a separate story that Elder Emmanuel Cudjoe, the National Deacon of the Church of Pentecost in South Africa who was kidnapped in October 2023 during a church service, was released and returned home alive.

This incident occurred after armed robbers disrupted a church service at the Johannesburg branch of the Church of Pentecost, robbing congregants at gunpoint and kidnapping the Church's deacon.

The news was announced through a WhatsApp conversation, with the National Head Pastor expressing gratitude for his miraculous return.

Source: YEN.com.gh