A pastor says the Law Enforcement officers who came to remove his church have taken the word of God from the people of Delft.
The Vision Times Multi-Purpose Christian Centre, which had been run from a tent, was dismantled last Friday because of complaints from some residents.
Apostle Emilton Daniels and his wife Jolene first visited The Hague on February 14.
“We were supposed to be in the area for a week but then the people around there told us that they didn’t want us to go,” he explains.
“I know that we were in the wrong for staying that long on that field because we didn’t have documents to be there,” Jolene explains.
“The day we started, we were going to apply but then we decided OK, we would only stay there for the week.”
They say the people were happy because the youth were drawn to the church and it kept them away from gangsterism.
“The residents said we had become like family and that they wanted us to stay. The week became a month and a month became two and so on,” Emilton adds.
“The Law Enforcement have forced me to close the church because of the complaints and people were still hungry for the word, they were disappointed when we had to shut down the church.”
He says the trouble started when resident Rashieda Jones, who lives opposite the field in Boomerang Street, called Law Enforcement to lay a noise complaint.
“She called them every day of the week, complaining about us. The Law Enforcement and Land Invasion Unit came out to find out what the problem was. They said this was about noise and we didn’t make a noise.”
Jolene says Rashieda apparently also complained about the tent blocking her view.
“The only view she has without the tent is all the dirt dumped on the field. Then she said the tent is dangerous and said someone was robbed behind the tent.
“We have been helping the people in the area and we are in the process of applying for the permit to erect the tent there.”
When the Daily Voice visited Rashieda, she confirmed that she did call the authorities.
“This is not about religion or politics. I went to the people around the neighbourhood and they also didn’t like the tent being there,” she says.
“The children were not able to play on the field, they instead played in the road, which is very dangerous.
“We have approached the councillor about turning the field into a park for the kids.”
Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason says the tent was erected illegally: “The owner was given seven days to remove the tent or be fined. He opted to remove the tent.”