TRISH BEAVER, Cradock | Sunday
THE Eastern Cape apostle who was supposed to have died last week after seeing a vision of his own death, has allegedly run up a mountain of debts in the small town of Cradock.
Freddie Isaacs (58) has claimed that God had called him to join him in heaven, and he predicted that he would die last Saturday. Last week, the town was catapulted into the news as people waited for the imminent death of the self-styled apostle.
”Mourners” from Apostolic Reform Church congregations in major cities were bussed in to attend the funeral, scheduled to be held at the town hall. But nothing happened. Isaac’s grave which had already been dug, stood open and the local police paid a visit to his home to see what was going on.
They reported that Isaacs, who was only drinking water, was alive and kicking.
A staffer for a local undertaker, not the one arranging Isaacs’s funeral, said the town was in hysterics at the so-called apostle’s antics which made the headlines last week.
The woman who did not want to be named for business reasons, said on Saturday: ”We’ve got five funerals lined up for today, and I can safely say that all of our funerals are genuine.”
She said it was well-known that Isaacs had run up a mountain of debt and had been handed over to a firm of local lawyers.
She said: ”He originally predicted his death to be on the 28th of January, so in December he went on a wild shopping spree buying things and now he can’t pay for it because he’s still alive. I can think of a few businesses who want him dead.”
The woman said the small town was excited at the amount of publicity Isaacs had generated: ”This town is so small that not even the circus comes here. Now we have a real live clown and last week we had the circus.”
Isaacs was allegedly seen by witnesses on Friday purchasing bread and milk at a local cafe.
According to local gossip his wife apparently broke down in tears at the bank and said her husband was making a fool of the family.
BJ Isaacs, a relative, was fielding calls from the press on Saturday, and he said: ”Freddie is going home, we know it and so will everyone soon.”
He said the family had been prepared for the imminent death of Isaacs since the beginning of the month: ”We will miss his earthly body, but we know that he will be sitting at the right hand of the father.”
Eastern Cape police representative Superintendent Marinda Mills said police were not taking any action as no crime had been committed.
”We will not interfere unless certain scenarios unfold. If he is starving himself and his family fails to take medical action, then they could be charged with culpable homicide.
”But due to the publicity surrounding the case, if there is a body, it is almost certain there will be an inquest and a post mortem,” Mills said. – Sapa