Armed police officers stopped a physical conflict from breaking out between different spiritual groups over rites of passage into the world’s oldest man-made structure, which is located in Mpumalanga.

The altercation erupted at the Inzalo Ye Langa (Birthplace of the Sun) near Mgwenya (formerly Waterval Boven) outside Mbombela when indigenous knowledge practitioners and traditional healers who wanted to perform African New Year rituals were denied access to the site.

Some of Southern Africa’s most notable spiritual gurus, including Mkhulu Nsingisa Hlongwane, were among the visitors.

On the one hand, members of the Great Empire of Kemet (GEK) stated they were turned away at the entrance despite travelling hundreds of kilometers from various regions nationwide on Friday.

Spiritual “gatekeepers” from the SADC Sacred Sites organisation, on the other hand, fiercely contended that performing ceremonies at the site was a defilement of its sacred energy.

To make matters worse, officials from the Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Environment, the site’s custodian, insisted that GEK members remain away from Inzalo Ye Langa.

Mkhulu Nsingisa, the leader of GEK, stated that the group had been performing ceremonies at the site for the previous four years without incident.

“We’ve been coming here individually for a long time, but we started coming as a group four years ago. All we wanted was to observe the spring equinox on September 22 and 23 and keep our night vigil peacefully.

“The department has designated the area as a nature reserve, which comes with its own set of rules. Unfortunately, the location is rich in both natural and cultural heritage. This is where uBaba Credo Mutwa was initiated. Kings and queens were initiated here,” Mkhulu Nsingisa explained.

According to Mkhulu Nsingisa, the government is unaware of the importance of the place.

“That is why they are enforcing natural heritage dictates at the expense of cultural value, which is appreciated all over the world. Our black government is violating and abusing us. Because of the intensity of the site’s spirit, UBaba Credo said it is the most sacred spot in the world. This is where the Earth’s electromagnetic field goes through, increasing the sacred chakra of the environment. This is our own Mecca, and it deserves to be treated as such,” he remarked.

Nsingisa concluded by saying he was relieved that peace had been reached between the spiritual gatekeepers, environmental regulators, and GEK.

“We had resolved that we would never return home unless we honoured natural law and received our ancestors. The police intervened, and we came to an understanding that we could perform our rituals. Nobody was detained, and the situation was settled amicably. All we wanted was to perform our rituals,” Mkhulu Nsingisa explained.

Inzalo Ye Langa is famed for its ancient Stone Altar, one of an estimated one million old stone ruins spread over southern Africa’s mountains.

According to Khethiwe “ForestQueen” Mndawe, chairperson of the SADC Sacred Sites, spiritualists from all walks of life should respect sites like Inzalo Ye Langa.

“This is a massive indigenous site, and the government has been sleeping on it. Today, white researchers are attempting to transfer the credit for the construction of this place from our black ancestors in order to link it to aliens. This indigenous site is a reflection of the high-level sciences used by our ancestors.

“That is why we are so protective of this site that we even refuse traditional churches that come here to desecrate it with lower frequency energies, spells, and rituals that involve the slaughter of animals and the leaving of litter. These were sites that were kept pure, but you have people driving into the site, speaking loudly, and coming here drunk when these are meditation spaces,” Mndawe explained.

Mndawe said that once peace was reached, she and her fellow gatekeepers were left to clean up after the others.

“This is common sense, but there are spiritual people who break every rule in order to camp in the middle of the stones. They also burn fires here as part of their ceremonies, and the nearby Kaapsehoep area is inherently a fire risk. They had a massive fire two weeks ago and had to spend millions to put it out,” said Mndawe. 

“You cannot execute blood sacrificial rituals here, spiritually speaking. You do not shed blood here. They’re ruining everything for anyone who wants to experience this area in its purest form. Generations will need to come here to learn about how ancient technology was employed here thousands of years ago.”

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala was not immediately available for comment.

According to the department’s spokesperson, Peter Mbelengwa, the land is owned by the public works and infrastructure department but managed by forestry, fisheries and environment department.

“The user groups are permitted to access and use the natural resources within the declared state forest as per the licence conditions. The visitors normally break the rules by entering the Blue Swallows State Forest Nature Reserve without permission, illegally driving in the reserve over the grassland, littering, overnight camping and starting of fires.

“The department will continue to implement the prescripts of the law guiding access and use of the state forest and engage the affected and interest stakeholders to ensure compliance,” Mbelengwa said.