Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng claims he cured a former employee and his wife of HIV/Aids by praying for them, according to a News24 report.
Mogoeng was reportedly speaking in Mthatha on 22 November during a religious tour themed ‘Healing the Nation of Africa from Cape to Cairo’. His address was streamed live on social media from Riverside School Hall.
During the two-hour sermon, Mogoeng told the crowd that he healed the couple when he was still a young believer.
‘When I was a young Christian, my employee and his wife were struck with HIV/Aids and their child died. They became thin. I said let me pray for this. “In the name of Jesus the spirit of HIV/Aids leave”,’ he said.
Mogoeng said he had forgotten about that day until one day he saw the couple again looking ‘fat’.
‘I asked “Why are you so fat?”,’ he said, claiming that the couple told him that they had been healed of the virus after he prayed for them.
Mogoeng told the crowd: ‘I said, “Are you perhaps taking tablets?” and they said “no”’. Thunderous applause greeted this comment.
News24 quoted Professor Francis Hyera, head of public health in the faculty of health sciences at Walter Sisulu University, as saying that there was no evidence supporting the claim that prayer cured HIV/Aids.
Hyera said it was not possible to claim the couple was cured based on their weight gain.
‘I am not disputing that the prayer can do wonders, but we need proof that the couple was really HIV/Aids positive. We know the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ raised someone from the dead. We need evidence-based information. There are many people in many countries claiming they cured HIV/Aids with prayer, but what they all lack is evidence,’ Hyera said.
Last year, the then Chief Justice was criticised for saying that, as a Christian, he had an obligation to love and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
This prompted a formal complaint to the Judicial Service Commission by Africa4Palestine, accusing Mogoeng of breaching the judicial code of conduct.