After receiving a backlash from the Christian community and gospel music fans, following her interview on The Venting Podcast with Gogo Skhotheni, gospel singer Zaza Mokhethi has come out to say she is still a devoted Christian. The Imbewu hitmaker was on Gogo Skhotheni's podcast on Sunday.

'I AM STILL A CHRISTIAN'

In the interview, Zaza said that she agreed to the interview with Skhotheni as they were all God's children. "I agreed to come here because we are all God's children, regardless of our differences in religion. We are one. I respect those who believe in African spirituality as much as they respect my beliefs,' she added. Defending her decision that was labelled 'unchristian' by the Christian fraternity, Zaza released a statement yesterday assuring them that she was still a devoted Christian. "The podcast interview provoked a fair amount of reaction within the Christian community and the public at large, including the subsequent podcast on Church Reality Check hosted by Ricky G Leamus. In light of some of the criticism levelled against me, I have taken advice from church leaders and close friends and wish to publicly re-affirm my faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Christian faith and the Christian community at large," she said. She further said that she was still a born-again, baptised, spirit-filled, tongue-praying Christian that everyone knows. "Bazalwane nginizwile (Brethren, I have heard you). I wish to re-assure the body of Christ as a whole that I, Zaza, still believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in his virgin birth, in his sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through his shed blood on the cross, in His resurrection, in his ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in his personal return in power and glory," she added. 

SPREADING THE GOSPEL

Zaza went on to say that the invite from Gogo Skhotheni afforded her an opportunity to share her faith on a platform that is not ordinarily accessed by Christians. "It is not unusual for Christians to take-advantage of these platforms in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, we learn from scripture that our Lord often took advantage of unusual platforms to spread the gospel to non-Christians, despite criticism from the Pharisees. Unfortunately, some of the criticism levelled against me sought to use the interview as a basis to suggest that I am not a true Christian and that I have forsaken my belief. These suggestions cannot be any further from the truth and to base them on the interview is a result of having taken my responses out of context," she said. "These assertions inspire me and have been expressed in my musical ministry continuously for over years. Suggestions made to the contrary are untrue."