The dream of members of the Mashau Evangelical Presbyterian church to attend services in their own finished building were shattered when a tree fell on the nearly completed roof.

When the church members went to their worship house on Sunday morning, March 24, they found the building partly destroyed by the big tree which grew close to the building. The congregation has now started to raise funds, so that they can repair the damaged building.

The Mashau church is one of the branches of the Evangelical Presbyterian church in the Zoutpansberg region. It was started at Ha-Mashau village in 1954.

The minister in charge of the Mashau branch, Rev Emmanuel Hlatswayo, pleaded with all Evangelical Presbyterian members to attend the fundraising events which will help the church. Their wish is to rebuild a better church which will accommodate all their members and even disabled people.

The chairperson of the Zoutpansberg region, Rev James Kubayi, said it was important to rebuild the church in that area. “The church caters for the poorest of the poor and the aged,” he said. The church also runs youth education programmes.

Rev Kubayi added that it had been their wish to build a big church and that they were slowly busy fulfilling their dream when the tree fell on the roof. Rev Hlatshwayo said any donation would be gratefully accepted. “It can either be building material, labour or cash and we will gladly accept any donation,” he said. “Most of the congregation members are pensioners and some are not working. That’s why it is not easy for us to raise the funds on our own to build a new church,” he said.