Or so the claims go…

Over the past few years that I’ve been blogging about the paranormal I’ve encountered dozens of stories in which whole schools are said to be under some demonic attack. Asian, European, African and Latin countries all included. The sad part about this type of hysteria is that the children are always the victims. I don’t mean victimized by the supposed demons, but victimized by the fanatics and their instilled beliefs in such things.

Do demons really take over schools? No.

Overall, this types of overreactions die down as quickly as they start. Most of us probably forgot about the haunted Indian school where mass hysteria was responsible for shutting the school down for some time and children and parents running for their lives.

Whatever happened to the children?

Of course, they are the real victims here. Everyone who is involved in the schools where this type of hysteria occurs, is responsible for the mental (and physical) health of the students.

“The children run away from invisible apparitions, which at times direct them to a nearby pool, where they claim to see a register with the name of pupils targeted by the demons.”

Invisible apparitions? I don’t get it.

Full source: Observer.org.sz

DEMONS have literally taken over Mdzimba High school near Dlangeni since Monday, where pupils are running amok and seeing visions mostly related to one of the teachers at the school.
As a result, a mass demon exorcism exercise has been carried out at the school since then, by pastors from the Manzini based Church of God, to no avail.
The children run away from invisible apparitions, which at times direct them to a nearby pool, where they claim to see a register with the name of pupils targeted by the demons.
At times, they claim to be instructed to drink water from the school tap, saying the instructions were coming from the school’s principal, Sgwili Dlamini. They writhe around as if in agony while screaming loudly and if not restrained, they dash full speed to the pond where they return to inform others whose names they claim they saw at the pond.
Pastor Mduduzi Manana, a well-known demon buster, has been conducting exorcism prayers at the school. The situation tends to subside in the afternoons, only to resurface with full verve the following morning. classes have not been conducted at the school as from Monday, as the pupils cause general mayhem when they become possessed by the unseen powers. Yesterday, all the children were crammed inside the school hall, where they were individually prayed for. Pastor Manana and his coterie of demon-busters had their hands full praying for the pupils, slapping them, at their foreheads and commanding the demons to depart the children’s bodies.
Strangely, the affliction seemed to be prone among the girl pupils while a few boys were affected. Parents also came in their number to assist in the exorcism while teachers ensured that none of the pupils dodged the prayers.
Other than seeing visions, babbling incoherently and dashing in full speed, the children did not froth at the mouth nor did they faint as is normal with such situations. They were generally restless, while calming down after being prayed for only to start again.
The burly among the boys had to exert all their strength to restrain them, and occasionally the victims would lie still as if in deep slumber.
According to the principal, the problem was not new at the school, saying it started towards the end of last year and at a much lower rate. “Initially only nine were affected. I even sent them home advising their parents to take them to people who could treat such affliction. They returned again with the situation having normalised. But towards last term’s closure it struck again. When we opened this term the problem was still there and this time around it engulfed the whole school.
But we believe the prayers from this pastor will contain the situation as he has a track record of dealing with such things. Otherwise, since Monday he and his team have been fervently praying at the school, and we can only wish them all the success,” Dlamini the principal said.

Principal’s name called by pupils

PARENTS of pupils attending at Mdzimba High school have been left baffled as a result of a wave of demons that had struck at the school.
At the centre of this storm is the principal, Sgwili Dlamini, whom the afflicted children claim to be hearing his voice or seeing visions of him while possessed. Yesterday, the children almost caused a riot when they insisted that he should also be prayed for by the team of demon-busters that was led Manzini based Church of God Pastor, Mduduzi Manana.
Pastor Manana was in the news last year when busting demons that had attacked recruit soldiers at the Mbuluzi Army Barracks.
The children, mostly girls, after being prayed for stated that during their seizures they kept seeing or hearing visions or the voice of ‘Umphatsi’ instructing them do some things. As a result, some of the boys then felt he should also be ‘exorcised’ by the Pastor too, as almost all those who were attacked kept on mentioning his name.
He was eventually prayed for after police asked him to do so for the sake of peace.
Nothing happened after he was prayed for, and he did not fall down like most of the children were doing. Some of the parents of the afflicted children mentioned that their children did the same things even at home during their sleep, while again, mentioning the name of the principal.
Others felt the children were seeing the principal because he was a symbol of authority at the school, stating that the problem was getting out of hand in the country.
Former MP Stezi Gama noted that some of the children were Zionists and slapping on their foreheads was bound to trigger spells of the Holy Spirit, (Bavukwe Ngumoya). He noted that the allegations about the principal were nothing but hogwash, saying the problem was deeper than it seemed. Acting Chief of KaLamgabhi, Samuel Hlophe also concurred with this view, saying it was time the country did an introspection over its religions. “This could be a wider problem and we should ask ourselves whether our religions are the real thing or not.
Demons have been let loose in the country and this is not the first instance that a school has had to be closed because of this,” he said. He mentioned that on Monday, the pupils beat up another preacher who had come to pray at the schools, in the guise that they were possessed.
The team of pastors swore that today they would drive the demons out of the school and invited the press to come and witness the power of good triumph over evil.
“By the afternoon, we had managed to have quelled the situation, come tomorrow and witness us chase the demons away for good,” Pastor Mduduzi Msane of the same church vowed.
He then mentioned that they would be taking with them to Manzini three pupils who seemed to be severely afflicted and pray for them the whole night.  “When they return tomorrow, they will be alright,” he said.