KwaZulu-Natal is home to one of the largest African-initiated churches on the continent, the Nazareth  Baptist Church,* whose spiritual home is a mountain deep in Ndwedwe, 50km inland from Tongaat. 

Courier reporter Sboniso Dlamini joined the pilgrims on their annual pilgrimage.

Visiting the holy Khenana Mountain in Ozwathini, Ndwedwe is a profound spiritual experience.

Last weekend, many thousands of Nazareth Baptist Church members, dressed in the church’s distinctive white robes, flocked to Khenana mountain for ritual prayer and worship.

Khenana is the Zulu spelling of Canaan, the Biblical land of the Israelites. There was an almost magical feeling being there, like stepping into another realm.

It was their first Sabbath day on the mountain after the long 60km annual pilgrimage from Ebuhleni church in Inanda, Durban.

The gruelling journey took three days to complete, but instead of looking tired, the pilgrims’ faces reflect happiness because every step brings them closer to God.

To make the journey even more of a sacrifice, pilgrims carry small stones on their heads. Believers say this act writes their names in heaven and connects them to God.

They must also follow strict spiritual discipline, which includes abstaining from foods containing yeast. Hawkers sell food and other items, while local children sell wildflowers by the roadside.

The flowers are placed at sacred places on the mountain to show love and devotion to God. As people place their flower offerings, they kneel and pray.

The pilgrims walk, sing, and pray as they make their way to the temple. Their voices join together in songs of faith. Every step they take has a purpose, demonstrating their strong beliefs.

The energy, dedication and sense of community make this pilgrimage a truly special event. When I arrived, some had built small huts called amadokodo, while others used modern tents.

Church leaders helped guide the crowd and made sure everything went smoothly. Late into the night people were expected to pour in and the mountain becomes a busy, temporary city.

Altogether there were several hundred thousand worshippers on the mountain. Suddenly, a police van with flashing blue lights appeared and everyone immediately dropped to their knees.

But there was no reason for apprehension. This signalled the arrival of church leader Inkosi Mduduzi Nyazilwezulu Shembe making his way to the temple to start the 1pm service.

The mountain pilgrimage is one of the church’s most important events. People come to receive blessings, listen to teachings and grow closer to God.

I joined the congregants, first removing my shoes, as is the custom, before stepping onto holy ground. One congregant offered to keep my shoes safe.

It is said that church founder, Inkosi Isaiah Shembe, first received the Holy Spirit on a nearby mountain, Inhlangakazi in Ndwedwe. Years later, the fifth leader of the church, Unyazilwezulu, changed the location to Khenana.

However, a faction of the church still travels to Inhlangakazi every January. Tradition is very important during the pilgrimage.

Worshippers wear white robes, dance to praise God and follow customs passed down through the generations. Even children as young as 13 join the journey.

* The Nazareth Baptist Church, also known as the Church of Shembe, is a South African church that combines Christian and traditional Zulu beliefs. It was founded in 1910 by Isaiah Shembe.
At its peak the church claimed more than a million members, though this seems to have been diluted by breakaways over the years.

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