Church goers dressed in traditional attire walk on a road as two vehicles also travel between them Thousands of congregants from the Nazareth Baptist Church arrived at the Nhlangakazi Holy Mountain on Tuesday. Picture: eThekwini Municipality Facebook page
The annual pilgrimage by Ebuhleni branch of the Nazareth Baptist Church, commonly known as the Shembe church, to Nhlangakazi Holy Mountain has continued successfully despite heavy rains and road disruptions.
Thousands of congregants who embarked on the sacred journey on Saturday arrived at the mountain on Tuesday, where they set up tents and other shelter for the seven-day spiritual gathering.
Thokozani Mncwabe, spokesperson for the Ebuhleni faction of the Nazareth Baptist Church, assured that everything was proceeding as planned.
“Congregants arrived at the mountain on Tuesday and have set up tents and shelter. Everything is going accordingly; the weather is not a problem,” he said.
The pilgrimage, which traces a 60 kilometre route, has not only drawn participants from KwaZulu-Natal but also from other provinces.
Mncwabe highlighted that all scheduled activities would continue despite the weather.
“Once they come down (from the mountain), other festivities will happen when they all arrive at Ebuhleni. Thousands of weddings will happen at once, especially for young people. Young men from age 19 and women from age 18 can marry,” he said.
The heavy rains have caused significant damage to roads leading to Nhlangakazi, posing logistical challenges for the pilgrimage.
Samuel Mfeka, mayor of the Ndwedwe Municipality, said his team is working closely with the church leadership to assist wherever possible.
“The biggest damage is to the road infrastructure, and as it continues raining, it is more difficult to assist. We are trying our level best,” said Mfeka.
He urged the public to use alternative routes to access the area, as the D1605 road to Nhlangakazi and the P714 road to Khenan have been disrupted.
“The public is asked to use the D2490 road from Bhamshela,” Mfeka advised.
He added that the municipality’s disaster management teams are stationed on the mountain to ensure the safety of congregants.
“We are working hand-in-hand with the leadership of the church assisting them wherever we can,” Mfeka added.
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