MatieMedia apologises for not having included comment from the World Mission Society Church of God in the first version of this article. The organisation has been subsequently contacted for comment, which has been included in the current version of this article.
Interactions with a controversial religious group have raised the red flag for some Stellenbosch University (SU) students.
The group, who introduce themselves as the World Mission Society, supposedly are members of a church that wishes to inform you about God the Mother.
Concerns surrounding the intentions and methods of the group have been persistent across the world, with some Christian organisations referring to them as a cult.
Allegations have also surfaced in the past that the group is involved in sex trafficking, but this has never been proven.
In a statement to MatieMedia, the World Mission Society Church of God strongly denies being involved in a sex trafficking syndicate. Nkanyezi Mdatyulwa, spokesperson for the Church in the Bellville, says articles such as this damage the church’s reputation.
Marion Webber (22), a history honours student at SU, says that after being approached by people offering to discuss God the Mother with her, she was asked if they could meet with her the following week.
Roxanne Mooneys, Chief Sub Editor of MatieMedia and journalism honours student at SU, says she encountered a similar occurrence.
“[They] approached [me] on the Rooiplein and asked me if I believe in God.
They showed me four verses from the Bible and then they asked if they could take my number and if we could meet away from the Neelsie at some place less crowded.”
Another SU student, who wishes to remain anonymous, says that it’s usually a man and woman who approach you.
“They don’t tell you where their church is on campus, they will just say we will come pick you up. That’s when I noticed something was off. Almost all of them say the exact same thing,” says the anonymous SU student.
People have taken to social media, through anonymous posts, to warn Stellenbosch residents of the apparent ill-nature of the group.
“They introduce themselves and say they want to talk to you about God the Mother. Do not entertain it. They are a sex trafficking organisation.
I felt like something was off in the way they approached me because after they were done explaining their mission, the woman was extremely adamant on getting my number and saying we should meet again privately to further the study,” the anonymous posts read.
However, the World Mission Society denies these allegations. “Our Organization does not surround students and force them to give their information,” says Mdatyulwa, “[w]hen we approach students, we always say who we are and where we are from and then introduce our beliefs. If they listen and are interested, we exchange contact details and we ask them where they want to meet and we also tell them where our office is.”
Student members of the organisation at UWC and SU argue that it has become more difficult for them to do their work since the allegations were made.
Dr Viljoen van der Walt, Director of Risk Management and Campus Security at the university, says that they are aware of the apparent issue.
“The group was first reported at Tygerberg Campus, approximately two years ago. On grounds of student complaints, their representatives were denied further access to the campus by security at the main entrance.
At Stellenbosch, we were sensitized by a student about representatives of this group putting up posters in the Neelsie.”
Van der Walt urges anyone with information to come forward, or lodge an official complaint, so an official investigation can be opened.
Since MatieMedia first reported on this group, Martin Viljoen, the spokesperson for the university has also provided comment.
“To date there has been no complaints laid at SU structures of any abductions or reports of sex-trafficking. That said, students should always take the necessary safety precautions as human trafficking is a reality in many parts of the world,” says Viljoen.
He has also been able to confirm that the group denied access to the Tygerburg campus two years ago is not in fact the same group that students have been warning each other about on the SU main campus recently.
MatieMedia is in contact with a member of the World Mission Society Church of God, and await their comment.
Report any suspected cases of trafficking by contacting:
- South African Police Services (SAPS) 10111,
- Department of Social Development (DSD) Hotline on 0800 220 250
- National Human Trafficking Resource Line on 0800 222 777 or
- Campus Security 021 808 4666
For the full statement from the World Mission Society Church of God, click here.
This article has been updated since the original publication, as further information came to light.