by NKHENSANI NKUNA
POLOKWANE, (CAJ News) – IT was a hive of activity at the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) in Moria town outside Polokwane over the weekend, as worshippers gathered in large numbers for the first time in four years, as Covid-19 had kept them away.
The church, which is led by Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, saw thousands of ZCC pilgrims from different parts of the country arriving at the church from Friday to celebrate September 1, which to them marks the beginning of a new year.
Since the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, worshippers were not allowed to attend services in Moria en masse, but only small numbers of those in the vicinity, accompanied by church leaders, could go to the house of worship on special occasions.
The ZCC pilgrims have been attending church services at their local branches since 2020. However, the relaxation of the restrictions does not mean the situation is back to normal as during the new year celebrations at the weekend, only 18 members per branch were allowed to travel to Moria.
The Department of Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo had deployed a large number of traffic officers on different routes such as the R71 and N1. No major incidents were reported in connection with the gathering.
Limpopo Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, wished the church a happy new year.
“The ZCC is an integral stakeholder of our communities, and continues to provide spiritual counselling to the government and broader society. Dr Lekganyane has demonstrated an unmatched level of support to help the government cushion the impact of Covid-19 pandemic,” the premier said.
– CAJ News