Travellers warned of heavy traffic as ZCC resumes Moria conferences

The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) has announced the gradual resumption of its regular conferences at Moria City, located outside Polokwane in Limpopo.

The church first closed its doors in 2020 during the initial lockdown due to Covid-19.

At the time, President Cyril Ramaphosa banned public gatherings of more than 100 people.

This led many megachurches around the country to cancel Easter services that would have seen more than 100 congregants gathering under one roof.

ALSO READ: ZCC postpones Moria pilgrimage as other mega churches cancel Easter services

During the Covid-19 lockdown, social events were limited to a maximum of 100 people for an indoor and a maximum of 2502 people for an outdoor gathering.

The ZCC informed its members that the Moria conferences were put on hold “until further notice.”

A new date would be communicated to members in due course, depending on “normality prevailing in this country.” At the time, the church said that they did not “want to risk the lives of our people.”

ZCC resumes Moria conference

On Wednesday, ZCC spokesperson Moruti Moatshe Ngoepe announced that the Moria conferences would gradually resume.

ALSO READ: Moria pilgrimage postponed, but ZCC members didn’t get the memo

The first Moria conference in four years will be for the 2024/25 consecration of the new year. It will be held from Friday, 30 August to Sunday, 1 September 2024.

No trading for vendors

However, vendors will not be allowed to operate along the R71 main road between Polokwane and Tzaneen in front of the ZCC headquarters in Moria City, starting from Matshelapata in Mentz to Mphogodiba.

“The church, as a law-abiding entity, works closely with law enforcement agencies to address all safety and security-related matters. This is done for safety reasons, including the safety of pedestrians,” said Ngoepe.

ALSO READ: Government says it’s talking to ZCC about whether big Easter pilgrimage will happen despite Covid-19

“The church is not in any way against small, medium, and micro enterprises, but this measure is primarily for safety. The church humbly requests full cooperation from every member of the community during the duration of this conference.”

Warning to motorists

The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety expects the planned religious gatherings to increase traffic volumes toward Limpopo.

“In light of this, we urge all members of the public who will be attending these gatherings to take necessary precautions to ensure their safety on the roads. We recommend that they contact our nearest traffic stations to check their buses before embarking on their journey,” department spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene told The Citizen.

Chuene said law enforcement officers will be deployed on all major provincial routes to manage the flow of traffic and ensure compliance with road safety regulations.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Mantashe splashed with ‘ZCC water’ during door-to-door in West Rand

The department has advised motorists to plan their trips ahead of time, rest if tired, and be mindful of other road users.

“Our message is clear: Obey the rules of the road to Arrive Alive,” said Chuene.

“We are committed to ensuring the safety of all road users. We will do everything in our power to prevent accidents and fatalities on our roads.”