By Thabiso Sekhula
For the first time since the Covid-19 lockdown, the ZCC St Engenas Zion Christian Church opened its doors for its members to celebrate the Easter pilgrimage.
The N1 was packed at the toll gates all through Thursday night with visitors coming from all around the country to make it for the Good Friday service.
There is a large amount of police presence all through the major roads with roadblocks also set up to ensure safety of the millions of people using the N1 this weekend into Limpopo.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his executive are reported to be attending the Sunday service at St Engenas.
Only one of the two ZCC branches has opened, the St Engenas branch, called the Leeba ZCC which means dove.
For context, the ZCC split in two, one under Joseph Barnabas Lekganyane and Edward Lekganyane after their father died – one represented by a star badge and the other by the dove.
The star branch has a lot more members, with its origins being outside of Limpopo when Edward left Moria against his father’s wishes to work as a taxi driver while canvassing for his place as their father’s successor.
When the Bishop passed on, he brought his masses on buses when the time came to vote in a new Bishop of the ZCC church. He was voted in and took residence in the holy city, leading his brother to start a church nearby.
A drive to Polokwane on the R71 this Friday shows thousands of tents set up at the church and thousands of cars, buses and taxis parked on the grounds.
But it’s hard to ignore the large empty space on the right where the Naledi star church members would be.
Despite this, the atmosphere is happy and new as the church brings back the pilgrimage after a 4-year absence. There are lots of movements with members getting ready for daily service and going into the local businesses.
The township of Boyne and its rocky streets are filled by locals dressed in their finest jackets and cardigans moving down into the church grounds. A really welcomed sight.
Pictured above: President Cyril Ramaphosa with Bishop Engenas J. Lekganyane
Image source: Twitter
