Mpho Jongani
Image: siphesihle buthelezi
While many young South Africans dream of the prestige and stability of a career in the medical field, 19-year-old Mpho Jongani has turned her back on a life-changing opportunity to study medicine in Cuba.
Instead, the North West native has found a new home and a "higher calling" at the Ikhaya Labafundi mission in KwaMapumulo, KwaZulu-Natal, a community that has recently sent shockwaves across the country as more young professionals and students abandon their secular lives to join its ranks.
Jongani’s journey to the mission began during a gap year following her matriculation. It was during this period of reflection that she began to think deeply about her faith and met an individual who shared her radical spiritual beliefs. After discovering Ikhaya Labafundi in April 2025, she made the definitive move to the mission on 11 July 2025. Her decision, however, has created a significant rift with her family in the North West.
"At home, they go to ZCC (Zion Christian Church), so they don’t understand my calling," Jongani shared. "We hardly talk; we actually only started talking last month. Even then, when we do talk, they tell me about worldly things."
The transition from a secular path to full-time discipleship was marked by a difficult departure from home. Jongani initially told her mother she would not be attending university but withheld the specific details regarding the Cuba scholarship and her final destination.
"When I left, I didn’t tell her about Cuba and didn't tell her where I was going. I first went to Joburg, and that’s when I called her and told her the truth," she said. "Because I am a child of God, I should not lie. The Holy Spirit convicted me to tell the truth."
Now a full-time disciple, Jongani’s stance is rooted in a literal interpretation of scripture and a deep suspicion of modern institutions. She points to the "Rod of Asclepius"—the snake-entwined staff used as a symbol for medicine—as a source of spiritual concern and cites the Greek word pharmakeia as a reason to shun the pharmaceutical industry.
"I rejected the medical field because there are many things in there that are evil," she explained. "When you look at the ambulance, there is an emblem of a snake. Why are people given pills to prevent things, or given pills to abort babies? That is murder and against the will of God."
Jongani is not alone at Ikhaya Labafundi, which has become a flashpoint for national debate. While critics and government officials have raised concerns about members abandoning formal education, those inside the mission describe it as a place of ultimate peace and divine purpose.
"The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing," Jongani said, quoting 1 Corinthians. "The more you strive for worldly success, the more you gratify the flesh. I am seeking the things that are above."
As the mission continues to grow, drawing in former professionals and students alike, Jongani has a message for her peers: "Everything is going to pass, but the word of God remains forever. You can complete your Masters or PhD, but then you die. Where does your soul go? I chose the kingdom of light over the kingdom of darkness."
For Jongani, the path is final. She has traded a stethoscope for a Bible and a prestigious international career for a life of discipleship in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal.