Star gifts pastor R1.9m Merc

Multi-award-winning gospel artist Sifiso Ncwane had tongues wagging after he bought his pastor a luxury car.

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Durban - Multi-award-winning gospel artist Sifiso Ncwane, who had tongues wagging this week after news broke that he had bought his pastor a R1.9 million luxury car, has explained the gesture.

The Port Shepstone-born star, who now divides his time between Durban and Johannesburg, said the AMG Mercedes-Benz GL 63 V8 had been a “thank-you” gift to Nigerian Pastor Francis Anosike, of Rock of Victory Ministries International Church in Johannesburg, for his service to him when he had been ill.

Speaking to The Mercury’s sister-paper Isolezwe, Ncwane said he was not bothered that there were some who considered his offering to the pastor an inappropriate channelling of money.

The detractors claimed he had made his money from fans who bought his music and attended shows and that it was inappropriate to pass it on to the pastor.

Ncwane trended on Twitter in the past few days after pictures of the car and of the pastor praying for him circulated on social media platforms.

The artist said he had had a heart attack on his way to an event in Mpumalanga. He had also collapsed in Swaziland while performing.

“I was taken to hospital, but the doctors told me they could do nothing about my illness and I was not going to survive. Upon hearing this, Pastor Anosike took a flight from Joburg to Durban and came to pray for me. He continued visiting me and kept on praying when I was home,” he said.

Ncwane said he had made a vow that when he recovered he would offer this car to the pastor, whom God had used to heal him. “I do not have such a car, but I wanted to do this to thank God. He uses man to do his work and Pastor Anosike was an instrument he used,” he said.

Ncwane said people who criticised him for his offering would be calling God’s wrath on themselves.

He said people who suggested he should have instead offered to help poor people were unaware of his charitable works.

The car, which he bought with cash, had been budgeted for since last year.

Tweets which attracted a lot of retweets:

@Barry_Roux: No wonder our pastors say we don’t pay tithe enough, Sfiso Ncwane is setting the bar too high! I’m opening a congregation next week and I want people like Sfiso Ncwane only in my church.

@AkanyangM wrote: Sfiso Ncwane did what any other person would’ve done. Yes, you may not have done it, that’s your choice. But let’s respect Sfiso’s choice.

@iThando tweeted: Sfiso Ncwane could have built the poor homes, pay 4 kids schooling, provide monthly groceries 4 the poor. Is that not the ultimate gospel??

@theoQuotes said: Sfiso Ncwane bought his pastor a car and you’ll find that the pastor never bought his album. Amen to that.

The Mercury