SHEMBE LEADER NAMES SITE ‘VUMANI HOME TEMPLE’

MADLANGeMPISI – Nazareth Baptist Church leader Unyazi Lwezulu christened the Shembe Madlangempisi site ‘Vumani Home Temple’.

This was during the church leader’s first visit to the Madlangempisi site, which according to Eswatini-based Reverend Mpendulo Mkhonta, was awarded to the church to use according to their will. Mkhonta said it was the leader of the Magagula clan and the area’s late Chief Mdumba Magagula who gave the land to Shembe. “Today (yesterday) Unyazi Lwezulu christened this holy place as the Vumani Home Temple. This is the site where the church’s temple will be built. Shembe will also be staying here during his future visits in the country as his homestead will also be built here, next to the temple,” said Mkhonta.

Meeting

This was after the church leaders, both those who had come from neighbouring South Africa (SA) with the church leader and those based in the country, had a brief meeting with Unyazi Lwezulu at the site where his houses would be built. The media was not allowed to take pictures of the meeting as leaders of the church highlighted that some of the proceedings were sacred and were not for public consumption. People of Madlangempisi and neighbouring areas pushed and shoved to get his attention, with the hope that he would pray and bless them. The residents, most of whom are members of the church, which is also known as Shembe, gathered at the Madlangempisi site. They included the young and old, as well as those who lived with disabilities. Most of the residents brought along water containers to receive blessed water.

Blessed

The blessed items were not limited to just water, but others brought along items such as soaps and petrollium jelly, which was to be blessed by the church leader. Unyazi Lwezulu arrived just before noon in the company of other leaders and delegates, some from KwaZulu-Natal. It is worth noting that most of the South Africans who were part of the church delegation were clad in their traditional Zulu attires. They included a section of warriors, women and maidens who sang songs of praise at the arena for the better part of the day. The Shembe leader spent most of the day seated under a gazebo pitched next to a mini-van, where he would at times go inside to spend time with a companion, whose identity could not be confirmed. A female toddler was also spotted seated under the gazebo.  After some of the residents and believers had received holy water, they were asked to go and sit in front of the church leader’s gazebo for blessings. The same applied for those who wished to offer offerings and gifts, they were asked to go and sit in front of the church leader for further instructions. Among the donated gifts and offerings were goats and a cow.

Some of those who came to the Madlangempisi site expressed their joy on having gotten a chance to come close to the church leader. They said he was an immortal earthly god who was able to relay messages directly to the heavenly God and that was why they believed that if they reported their suffering and asked for help through him, God would be quick to assist and answer their prayers. The leader will now await to join their Majesties on Saturday and Sunday, during the Sabbath Service to be held at Ludzidzini Royal Residence, before his return to South Africa, according to Reverend Mkhonta, who is the Hhohho overseer of the Nazareth Baptist Church in Eswatini.

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