South African pastor’s flatulence healing stunt sparks outrage over Africa’s religious regulation gaps

A South African pastor who claims to heal his congregants by sitting on their faces and passing gas has ignited widespread condemnation, reigniting concerns over the abuse of religious authority and the manipulation of vulnerable believers across the continent.

The pastor, identified as Christ Penelope of the Sevenfold Holy Spirit Ministry in Limpopo Province, South Africa, was captured in videos circulating on social media sitting over the faces of congregants while purportedly releasing gas. He claims the practice carries “divine healing powers” that enter through the nostrils and transform the destinies of the faithful.

In an interview with South African media, Penelope defended the practice as a “manifestation of God’s power,” comparing it to the biblical account of Jesus causing Peter to fall into a deep sleep before performing a miracle. He claimed that congregants “feel nothing” during the process and wake up healed.

There is no medical evidence to support any healing properties in the practice. Disturbingly, reports indicate that some followers reportedly wait months to participate in his sessions, while others have been known to collect his gas in containers.

Ghana’s Own Homegrown Excesses

The absurdity is not confined to South Africa. In Ghana, some self-styled prophets have reportedly tied the hands and legs of their members under the guise of “spiritual direction,” subjecting them to degrading and controlling practices.

Academic research published in the Ghana Journal of Religion and Theology in 2021 documented widespread ethical failures among Ghanaian pastors, including public beatings of congregants, bizarre theatrical performances, and sexual abuse of women under the pretext of “deliverance.” In 2021, an Accra Circuit Court sentenced a man named Daniel Akuffo to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl under the guise of “removing witchcraft,” threatening her into silence.

In October 2025, a senior pastor in Ghana’s Central Region and two assistants were arrested for allegedly kidnapping six motorcycle riders, forcing them to strip naked and consume unidentified substances.

A Regulatory Vacuum

Ghana’s government has acknowledged the severity of the problem. In February, Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Ahmed Ibrahim told Parliament that the Greater Accra Region alone has over 2,200 registered churches, approximately 98 per cent of which are owned by single individuals. He noted that the Religious Bodies (Registration) Act of 1989 has never been effectively implemented due to opposition from religious groups, leaving churches registered merely as “companies limited by guarantee” with no dedicated regulatory oversight.

The government plans to establish a national digital registry linked to the Registrar General’s Department and district assemblies to track the operations of religious institutions. Minister Ibrahim conceded that the absence of reliable data “creates opportunities for individuals operating outside recognised structures, sometimes engaging in conduct that undermines public confidence in religious institutions.”

Africa Needs Reason, Not Blind Faith

From South Africa’s “flatulence therapy” to Ghana’s “binding spiritual direction,” these phenomena share a common feature: religious leaders exploiting believers’ yearning for the supernatural and their deference to authority, packaging absurdity as divine will. The victims are often society’s most vulnerable — the poor, women, and minors — who are stripped of their judgment and dignity in the pursuit of “breakthrough.”

Africa does not need more miracle merchants. It needs citizens who question power, demand evidence, and protect the weak. When faith becomes a tool of control, the damage extends beyond individual victims to the very trust upon which religious institutions depend.