ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has praised the congregants of Africa’s largest faith-based organisation, the Zion Christian Church (Z.C.C), for their cooperation and support during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Millions of Z.C.C pilgrims from both sister churches last descended on Moria, outside Polokwane, for their annual Easter Pilgrimage in 2019, before the country went into a lockdown in March 2020.
The members have since practiced their faith at home, until this weekend when gates to the St. Engenas Z.C.C church were opened for a limited number of pilgrims.
Ramaphosa and a delegation of ANC leaders, including Limpopo ANC chairperson Stan Mathabatha and provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe, were among the distinguished guests who worshipped at St. Engenas yesterday.
“This is the weekend of worship, and it’s been really humbling to be among the worshippers here at the Zion Christian Church. The worshippers have not been able to come here for almost three years.
“For us as the leadership of the ANC, and indeed for myself as the president of the country, I wanted to thank the worshippers as led by Bishop Lekganyane for cooperating with us and working with us during the most testing period in the life of our country during the pandemic,” said Ramaphosa.
The president explained that they visited the Z.C.C leadership in 2020 and requested them to close the churches in order to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus at the time.
“Their ability to work with us is really what enabled the country, together with many other churches, to navigate its way out of Covid and through Covid.
“Today, to be here to watch this very spectacular worshipping moment was very touching for us. It was a moment to come and pay homage, pray with them and to receive the blessing of the church, and of the bishop,” he said.
“We were warmly received… and we felt at one with them when they were praying to God. This is a holy period in the lives of Christians in our country. It’s also a passover, and we were enriched by being here. It’s a great moment to be among Christians and to worship with them.”
Meanwhile, fewer traffic accidents have been reported in Limpopo as compared to the pre-Covid Easter periods, where millions made their way to the Holy Moria.
However, Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Florence Radzilani, has expressed concern over the number of ‘hit and runs’ involving pedestrian lives over the weekend.
“We have noted with a great sense of worry, numerous incidents, where motorists tend to drive away, after being involved in fatalities that include pedestrians. This criminal act defeats the ends of justice, and makes it difficult for the families of the victims to find closure,” said MEC Radzilani.
The MEC has also called upon motorists returning to their destinations to exercise caution on the roads as traffic volumes are expected to reach their peaks until late in the evening.
Radzilani’s department further picked up a lot of traffic activity on the N1, southbound towards Gauteng, the R101, R71, R81, the R579 from Lebowakgomo to Apel cross, and D4100 from Apel cross to Groblersdal and Marble Hall.
