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Dutywa

2 Stories - 50 Images - 1 Contributors

Thembe Religion
Eastern Cape, South Africa

Bazil Raubach, picture essay

The diversity of our fine and beautiful land is boundless and as you take a closer look at our country and its people, the more we seem to uncover. South Africa is a treasure trove of fascinating experiences and unexplored beauty. When it comes to tribes and religion, there are certainly many diverse experiences to explore.

On the road to Mthatha, no more than a couple of a kilometre outside Dutywa in the old homeland of the Transkei is a couple of white stones on verge of the highway. Unless pointed out you wouldn’t notice them, I in fact did not until we bumped our way up the sandy, poorly smoothed road.

Beyond the turnoff is one of the compounds of the Thembe religion. While quite extensive it in fact is habited by only one man, a high priest if you will. The other structures are split into three zones. One for the women, one for the men and then one larger structure where in the priest seems to live. Oh it was mentioned if a women wishes in instigate a liaison with a man there is a structure for that too but I do not know any of those details as the compound layout was whispered to me.

Some interesting facts, the amaNazarites of Isaiah Shembe are the oldest African Independent/Indigenous Church in South Africa. Shembe members are happy to share their beliefs and traditions with tourists and inquisitive minds. The Internet had some interesting stories of their recruitment practises.

The Shembe religion is a combination of Zulu culture and Christianity that has been based on the old testament of the Bible. The most colourful Shembe Pilgrimage that is attended by tourists, takes place at the beginning of every year, and is known as the Shembe Pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain.

Wearing pure white robes, the members of the Shembe Church walk along the path to the Holy Mountain singing praises. Once at the mountain, the followers perform worshipping dances and reflect on their religion and beliefs. It is a rare opportunity to become a part of the culture in South Africa, and experience a pilgrimage of religious praise.

The Shembe Pilgrimage is also one of the few chances visitors will get to be able to partake in and explore such a sacred ceremony.

The prayer area is cordoned off from the rest of the compound and further segregated. The men to onside, the women on the other. The oldest women sits ahead of the other women who seem staggered according to their ages and status in the community.

Menstruating women and widows are outside the fenced off and gated prayer area, and young girls are on the extreme side with girls about to enter or already in puberty covered in white shrouds, everyone wears white smocks.

Some cameo moments stayed in my mind. A young teenager checking his MXIT (a facebook type issue) on his cellphone while the priest was talking. A shy smile from one of the little girls covered head to foot in a white cover. The stern disapproving face of the senior matron sitting a couple feet ahead of the other women as she glared at me for daring to bring photographic equipment to the ceremony. The mischievous glint and genuine smile of the priest as her heard the prayer request from an older women in the congregation. The almost silent chuckle as their shared a private joke. All while the midday sun beat down onto my bare head and the cool African breeze meandered amongst us bring the smell of Africa and the occasional slow sonorous sound of cattle near by.

There are Old Testament, Jewish aspects and African traditional religion juxtaposed everywhere in this religion. A side note - their current leader is SHEMBE, Mbusi Vimbeni (27 April 1933-): the successor of Bishop Amos Shembe and current leader of the major branch of the amaNazarites with over one million followers, most of whom are Zulu. During a portion of the service, the priest of this service passed over an image Mbusi Vimbeni, taken at their annual pilgrimage. An old man in white captured in a Messiah like pose out of the silver Ranger Rover Sport’s sunroof, blessing his followers. A vehicle I might like to add, favoured by the current ruling elite.

The religion is essential a Zulu affair but it is growing and moving out to encompass the rest of Southern Africa.

In Africa white men have watches, but African men have the time’

Arts & Entertainment

Shembe religion

A photo-essay of the Thembe Religion in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The diversity of this beautiful land is boundless and as you take a closer look...

by Zilba Raubach in South Africa on 05/09/2009

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema addresses a rally in Dutywa (Headline)
ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema laid down the gauntlet to the ANC breakaway party Congress of the People (Cope) when he declared yesterday that the ANC will get a “three-thirds majority”(SUBS:CORR) in next week’s elections, on the 22 April 2008.
Malema says even if they get 100% of the votes they would not abuse their power, they are not ‘power hungry’; all they want is a slice of the cake. With their slice they will deliver education, health care and real job empowerment to the people. He went on to say, the cake is huge, no one party can lay claim to the entire cake, and suggested those who do (lay claim to the entire cake) are power hungry, greedy and will never give back to the people in the way ANC always deliver to the people.
The huge backlogs, in housing and health, corruption scandals and defections of large numbers of ANC members were glossed over by Malema.
The ANC according to Malema has always been against all forms of corruption and graft. Jacob Zuma was not in power when the controversial arms deal made a select few ANC politicians multi millionaires. Zuma cannot be charged over the arms deal because he was never involved according to Malema. The political conspiracy against Zuma was because they (ANC defectors) are frightened of his power and popularity with the people of South Africa.
South Africa had better start practicing calling Zuma --Mr. President. When they (ANC) walk down Church Street in Pretoria, they will be cheering for their new president, the President of the Republic of South Africa.
Malema says, they are easy to identify by their huge stomachs and the speed at which they left the ANC once the corruption scandal hit the papers. He pointed to ANC leaders that left the organization and now are leading opposition parties, namely COPE.
He said this was to illustrate how confident they were of an ANC electoral victory while he was addressing a provincial youth league rally at JSS Skhenjana Stadium in Dutywa(SUBS:CORR).
“We can’t wait for them to get their ugly faces out of our TVs after Wednesday,” he added.
The youth leader did not mince his words when he took a swipe at DA leader Helen Zille (SUBS: CORR), Cope leaders, the media and the suspended ANC councillors who were suspected of being Cope members at Mbashe Local Municipality.
“Helen Zille is racist and fake, even her face is not original. Her real face is ugly, that is why she had plastic surgery. DA’s policies are just as fake as her,” said Malema, referring to Zille’s Botox admission that she uses Botox.
He also criticised Zille and Independent Democrats leader Patricia De Lille(SUBS: CORR) for imitating ANC president Jacob Zuma by singing at their political rallies.
“Zille is so ugly that she looks like an apartheid agent. Her dancing is worse. When she dances it seems as if (s) he misses apartheid,” added Malema, to the laughter of the 500-strong crowd.
For the first time Malema responded to the remarks that were made by Zille that he is an “inkwenkwe” (SUBS: CORR) – an isiXhosa term for an uncircumcised boy.
“The question I want to ask her is how does she know? Her husband must be worried because it means that she must be having private sessions with the ANC Youth League president,” he added. The crowds lapped up his comments and the atmosphere was festive as Malema entertained
He also attacked Cope leaders, calling them “Mickey Mouse and clowns “who have accepted that they are not going to win this election therefore they are hoping to get number position from the DA.

Malema’s simplistic address to the people can easily be overlooked as simply electioneering, but he struck a chord with the 300 odd crowds at the rally. By entertaining and simplifying the ANC manifesto and suggesting promises in basic no-hold barred language, Malema did what few of the opposition politicians have managed to do. He promised a future South Africa where quality jobs we offered to the faithful, by para-phrasing some of the opposition arguments as his own, he ‘smoked and mirrored ‘his way through the rally with cheering and ululating ANC members.

Malema then disappeared in his R1million (ZAR) silver Range Ranger with security detail in their black BMWs. The crowd overlooked his designer jeans, expensive shirt and R30 000 watch, he for a moment was one of them, a boy from the townships of Polokwane. He made good and he suggested so can they… the only catch you can’t vote for anyone else. ANC is their salvation and they would betray the Struggle heroes such as Chris Hani, Walter Susilu, and of course Nelson Mandela.

Politics

ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema laid down the gauntlet

ANC Youth League President Julius Malema addresses a rally in Dutywa, South Africa. 17th April 09.

by Zilba Raubach in South Africa on 17/04/2009

05/09/2009 - Shembe religion - South Africa - A photo-essay of the Thembe Religion in...

17/04/2009 - ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema laid down the gauntlet - South Africa - ANC Youth League President Julius...

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Arts & Entertainment

Shembe religion

A photo-essay of the Thembe Religion in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The diversity of this beautiful land is boundless and as you take a closer look at our country and its people, the mo...

by Zilba Raubach, on 5th of September 2009