In her new novel titled “U-Nocawe Nomprofeti Wobuxoki,” WSU Journalism Graduate, Nwabisa Msikinya gives a chilling account of her encounter with an abusive faith leader.
As a young woman seeking guidance and solace in a local church, Msikinya fell prey to the church leader, whom she asserts used his power to manipulate and abuse her to a point where she made life altering decisions which included dropping out of university.
Although written fictitiously to protect the identities of those concerned, the book is a true account of Msikinya’s experiences within the church, which she says left her with emotional scars for years.
Despite the anguish she felt, Msikinya insists that she has written the book from a place of love and with the intention of helping women like herself to heal, or better yet, avoid falling into the same trap.
“I would like the book to serve as a warning to people who are in churches like Nocawe’s. I hope after reading the book they would be able to differentiate between a real prophet and a false prophet. But most importantly, they would learn to never put a human being in God’s position and to never go to churches such as the one the character of Nocawe went to,” said Msikinya.
Throughout South Africa, multiple churches and faith leaders have come under great scrutiny for their conduct, especially where women and child abuse were concerned.
The likes of East London’s Pastor Jay Israel, and the infamous Timothy Omotoso are prime examples of church leaders who have been known to take advantage of their female congregants in the most immoral ways.
Msikinya said that finding the courage and the words to tell her story took many years. Although the author will not divulge the details of her experience, she insists that readers will find all the answers in the book, which was officially launched on 17 September 2022.
“To me personally, the publication of this book means I’m coming out of the shame that the experiences I encountered put me through, and I’m pursuing my healing with the hope that the book will help others who have been through the same experiences to do the same,”
In 2016 Msikinya returned to WSU to complete her National Diploma in Journalism and graduated in 2017. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Communication through Unisa.
Six years in the making, U-Nocawe Nomprofeti Wobuxoki was published with support from the Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, as well as her family.
The book is available for purchase at Paperback Shack and Alpha Stationers in East London and can be ordered telephonically on 072 062 0358.
By Yanga Ziwele