President Cyril Ramaphosa concluded his official visit to the province of KwaZulu-Natal by joining members of the Nazareth Baptist Church (popularly known as the Shembe Church) in their July pilgrimage.
His visit to KZN kicked off on Friday when he trekked to the Midlands to officiate in the sod-turning ceremony for the upgrade of the first phase of the Vulindlela bulk water supply scheme.
The upgrading of the scheme will help improve water and sanitation provision in the entire Umgungundlovu district municipality which includes towns like Pietermaritzburg, Howick and Richmond.
PICS: President Cyril Ramaphosa together with some members of his cabinet and the KZN government MECs today took part in the Sabbath day of the July pilgrimage of the Shembe church of Ebuhleni. Ramaphosa and his team joined the church in worshipping with Unyazilwezulu. @IOL pic.twitter.com/6DxSf3Zfpl
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 22, 2023
Later, Ramaphosa and some of his cabinet ministers which included Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu, Police Minister Bheki Cele and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC, Siboniso Duma and eThekwini municipality exco member, Thembo Ntuli.
Ramaphosa and Mchunu earlier held an imbizo with the local community in which he told them that their water woes would soon be over.
He later joined the Shembe church in their annual pilgrimage and worshipped with them - much to their excitement.
Ramaphosa gathered with members of the church in worshipping alongside their leader, His Holiness Mduduzi “Nyazilwezulu” Shembe.
The Shembe church is one of the biggest and most influential traditional churches in South Africa. It boasts millions of loyal members.
Every year in July the church, which is anchored in Inanda, hosts the pilgrimage as part of remembering its founding leader Inkosi Isaiah Shembe who established the religious institution in 1910.
During this period, fast, pray and host religious dances for the youth, men and women in the church’s arena.
Also on tow was former Human Settlements MEC, Jomo Sibiya who is now a member of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature.
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