A South African Political party, ''Democratic Alliance'' has said
it would sue the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN,
Prophet T. B. Joshua, over the deaths of some of its nationals at the
church building collapse in Ikotun, Lagos State.
The party’s parliamentarian, Stevens Mokgalapa, who made this known on Monday said the party intends to write to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, urging her to assist South African victims of the SCOAN building collapse and their families to sue the prophet, Punch reports.
Speaking shortly after some survivors of the misfortune comprising two orphaned children arrived in Pretoria, Mokgalapa, expressed optimism that the church may be criminally liable. He called on the South African Minister in Charge of Pretoria, Jeff Radebe, for an investigation by the Nigerian government.
Responding, Radebe, who placed the total death toll from the building collapse on 115, said 80 South Africans were among.
Nkoana-Mashabane, however, stated that the party believes that many lives could have been saved if rescue work had begun immediately after the building collapsed on September 12.
“The Democratic Alliance is quite saddened and concerned about the reports of alleged negligence from the church in Nigeria just after the collapse of the building there. We also want to get the full disclosure of the assistance of the South African Government and the cooperation of the Nigerian government in as far as the tragedy is concerned,”Nkoana-Mashabane said.
Radebe also reiterated that it was imperative for Nigerian government to quickly conclude its investigation the building collapse, which he alleges has opened up a diplomatic crack between the two African countries.
Also, South African President Jacob Zuma had last week reacted to the tragedy that befell his countrymen at the SCOAN building collapse.
Meanwhile, the clergyman who is yet to respond to bribery claims by a journalist, on September 22, 2014, issued another condolence message to families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate collapse of a guest house belonging to the Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN)
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