Story by Thebe Mabanga and photographs by Nadine Hutton
As you drive past the sweet wealth of the sugar farming town of Tongaat, north of Durban, you begin to see them. They travel in small groups mostly as families. They are members of the Nazareth Baptist Church, one of the largest African indigenous churches, commonly referred to as the Shembes.
Every January, the Shembes undertake a month-long pilgrimage in Mount Nhlangakazi to honour a pledge made by their founder, the Prophet Isiah Shembe. This year, as always, they have swamped the mountainside of the sparse, communal settlement that is Nhlangakazi. They made the trip from Ebuhleni, the spiritual home of the church, to spend a two-week period ending last Sunday.
The first weekend is marked by services on the summit on Saturday. Before undertaking the arduous climb up the mountain, members perform a ritual known as ukuhlambisa (cleansing). They lay paper flowers, as on a grave, to form a floral shrine before saying their prayer. They then begin the climb with some effort and without complaint.
On the summit, one is greeted by an awesome sight: thousands have congregated under the blazing sun.
Towards the end of the service, an old man prays as the rest of us kneel. He does so like imbongi and speaks of ukholo iwamadixa (faith of the downtrodden). He then goes on to pay tribute to Shembe, describing him as a tree whose roots transcend lakes and ponds. Afterwards, as we queue to make our offertory, an announcement comes through that two young men are soliciting illegal donations. Even on holy ground, man is tempted to sin.