In 1994, just before the first democratic elections, the Zion Christian Church made history when it united several political rivals under one roof at its yearly Easter weekend at Moria to pray for peace.
Chief among the politicians were Nelson Mandela, who was at the helm of the ANC, and the National Party's leader and South Africa's last apartheid president FW de Klerk, whom Mandela would soon replace.
The others were Pan Africanist Congress president Clarence Makwetu, the Democratic Party's Zach de Beer, as well as the Azanian People's Organisation's Jerry Mosala.
This ground-breaking encounter helped heighten the importance of political tolerance, starting with political leaders then devolving to ordinary citizens, and the people's equal and unfettered participation in democratic processes, chief among which is the right to vote.
The church has always maintained that it is apolitical, thus political speeches are not allowed at Moria, so politicians only grace the Easter weekend events.
The church split into two in 1948 after the death of Bishop Engenas Lekganyane, who founded the church in 1910. Today the founder's grandson, Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, heads the larger faction, easily identifiable by the badge with a star that members wear on their chest.
Its headquarters is at Moria, a village in Boyne, east of Polokwane, where the celebrated prayer for peace took place in 1994.
The other, relatively smaller faction is known as St Engenas ZCC, headed by Joseph Engenas Lekganyane. It holds its pilgrimage a stone's throw away at its headquarters, also named Moria. Its members are distinguishable by a badge with a dove insignia.
The main sermons during conferences are delivered by the bishops, thereby bringing official closure to the pilgrimage.
Both churches have two conferences a year, with the larger pilgrimage taking place over the Easter weekend, easily the biggest such gathering anywhere on the continent.
Both churches have grown across the length and breadth of South Africa and have branches in neighbouring countries, significantly in Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Swaziland and Lesotho.
Just recently, South African expatriates opened a branch of the ZCC in England. Such has been the influence of the ZCC that myriad personalities have graced the Easter events over the years.
These have included President Jacob Zuma, former president Thabo Mbeki, Economic Freedom Fighters commander-in-chief Julius Malema, African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe, as well as DA leader Helen Zille.
Many other prominent South Africans, such as businessman Patrice Motsepe and Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza, are regular worshippers at Moria. - Sowetan Reporter
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Where rivals find each other
In 1994, just before the first democratic elections, the Zion Christian Church made history when it united several political rivals under one roof at its yearly Easter weekend at Moria to pray for peace.
Chief among the politicians were Nelson Mandela, who was at the helm of the ANC, and the National Party's leader and South Africa's last apartheid president FW de Klerk, whom Mandela would soon replace.
The others were Pan Africanist Congress president Clarence Makwetu, the Democratic Party's Zach de Beer, as well as the Azanian People's Organisation's Jerry Mosala.
This ground-breaking encounter helped heighten the importance of political tolerance, starting with political leaders then devolving to ordinary citizens, and the people's equal and unfettered participation in democratic processes, chief among which is the right to vote.
The church has always maintained that it is apolitical, thus political speeches are not allowed at Moria, so politicians only grace the Easter weekend events.
The church split into two in 1948 after the death of Bishop Engenas Lekganyane, who founded the church in 1910. Today the founder's grandson, Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, heads the larger faction, easily identifiable by the badge with a star that members wear on their chest.
Its headquarters is at Moria, a village in Boyne, east of Polokwane, where the celebrated prayer for peace took place in 1994.
The other, relatively smaller faction is known as St Engenas ZCC, headed by Joseph Engenas Lekganyane. It holds its pilgrimage a stone's throw away at its headquarters, also named Moria. Its members are distinguishable by a badge with a dove insignia.
The main sermons during conferences are delivered by the bishops, thereby bringing official closure to the pilgrimage.
Both churches have two conferences a year, with the larger pilgrimage taking place over the Easter weekend, easily the biggest such gathering anywhere on the continent.
Both churches have grown across the length and breadth of South Africa and have branches in neighbouring countries, significantly in Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Swaziland and Lesotho.
Just recently, South African expatriates opened a branch of the ZCC in England. Such has been the influence of the ZCC that myriad personalities have graced the Easter events over the years.
These have included President Jacob Zuma, former president Thabo Mbeki, Economic Freedom Fighters commander-in-chief Julius Malema, African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe, as well as DA leader Helen Zille.
Many other prominent South Africans, such as businessman Patrice Motsepe and Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza, are regular worshippers at Moria. - Sowetan Reporter
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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