THE Ndabayakhe reserve under KwaMadlebe Traditional Authority was a hive of activity last week as thousands of worshippers from the Nazareth Baptist (Shembe) Church converged for a special service led by its leader, iNkosi MD Shembe.
INkosi uShembe had come to officially open the new Sibongumusa Temple, led by uMshumayeli Mletheni Mzimela.
The temple is a product of the old Vukanathi Temple which was established in 1974, to cater for worshipers of Ndabayakhe who had been attending their church services from Moneni-Wombe Temple, based in Ngwelezane and one of the oldest in Zululand.
The temple started operating in November last year, and the name Sibongumusa, which means ‘We Thank The Grace of Our Lord,’ was given by iNkosi Unyazi himself in June this year.
‘Since we started operating we have attracted thousands of worshippers, and among them is the National Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko.
‘We also have outreach programmes where we visit centres such as Qalakabusha Correctional Services to spread the word of God to inmates. Other inmates from Qalakabusha were also involved in the preparation for this opening, as they assisted us with the cutting of grass and trees.
‘We see relevance in our church in that we attract mostly the youth and this keeps them off the streets and from doing criminal activities.
‘We view today’s ceremony as historic, in that we are graced by the presence uBaba Unyazi.
‘We could not believe it when we heard that INkosi uShembe was coming here, because there are many temples that are as old as 30 years, but have not been graced by the presence of our leader.’
The one-day ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko who is also a resident of Ndabayakhe, traditional leaders, abaShumayeli and abaVangeli.
Apart from opening the temple, iNkosi Unyazi also prayed for the those with different ailments and family problems.
