SUCCESSION CONFLICT WITHIN THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARITES :

i B a n d l a zarnaNazaretha

G . C . Oosthuizen

I.S.E.R. No. 13

1981

ISBN 0-949947-43-1

I n s t i t u t e f o r Soc ia l and Economic Research

U n i v e r s i t y o f Durban-Westv i l le

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F O R E W O R D

The author has been i n cons tan t con tac t wi th t h e iBandla l a d a z a r e t h a

(The Church of the Nazar i tes) f o r n e a r l y two decades. A number of

excellent s t u d i e s has been published on t h i s independent church which i s

basical ly a l i b e r a t i o n movement. The main emphasis i s on t h e r e s t o r a t i o n

of the Zulu n a t i o n which had been d is turbed as a r e s u l t of i t s own v i o l e n t

reaction t o t h e pene t r a t ion of t h e whites (both B r i t i s h and Boer) i n t o

Natal.

The main a i m of I s i a h Shembe was t o r e s t o r e h i s people t o t h e i r previous

glory and t h i s he thought could only be accomplished on t h e b a s i s of God's

presence with the Zulu people i n the same way as God revealed H i s presence

with Israel. H e considered the Sabbath t o be the key, t h e test of

obedience. I s i a h Shembe was a char i smat ic f i g u r e who made a g r e a t impact

on h i s people and a g r e a t impression on o u t s i d e r s who met him. H i s son

Johannes Ga l i l ee Shembe did no t have the same charisma b u t was neve r the le s s

highly revered. There a r e those who f a u l t him f o r no t des igna t ing h i s

successor more c l e a r l y . However, i t has been argued t h a t h i s f a i l u r e

to ind ica t e who h i s successor would be i s due t o t h e f a c t t h a t he kept

the mat ter a s e c r e t . I n doing t h i s he was following the example of t h e

appointment of a successor t o a chief where the s e c r e t i s kept t o prevent

the successor being el iminated by enemies.

This study i s mainly r e l a t e d t o the l e g a l i s sues . A s p e c i a l word of

appreciation i s due to t h e a t to rneys e s p e c i a l l y M r B.W. Garland, f o r

ass i s tance with regard t o the cour t cases ; t o the Rev. V. Mchunu f o r

h i s a s s i s t ance with regard t o f i e l d work i n 1972 and M r H. Yeni f o r h i s

interviews with var ious members of the fol lowers of both Amos and

Londa Shembe. To those i n The Church of the Nazar i tes who discussed the

contentious i s s u e s with the undersigned, t h e r e i s a word of appreciat ion.

G.C. OOSTHUIZEN

UNIVERSITY OF DURBAN-WESTVILLE

October, 1981.

SUCCESSION CONFLICT WITHIN THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARITES :

iBandla 1amaNazare t h a

The founder of t h i s Church, which c la ims a membership of over two hundred +

thousand, I s i a h hemb be,') born - 1867 was i l l i t e ra te . When he d i e d

on t h e 2nd of May 1935 a f t e r s t and ing f o r t h r e e hours i n co ld wate r i n

a r i v e r dur ing baptism, h e l e f t behind one of t h e most i n f l u e n t i a l

independent churches i n Af r i ca . No o t h e r independent Church ( i . e .

a church which is n o t p a r t of t h e main l i n e h i s t o r i c a l churches) ha s

a t t r a c t e d more a t t e n t i o n from s c h o l a r s involved i n t h e s tudy o f t h e

independent church phenomenon than The Church of t h e Nazar i t es .

I s i a h Shembe ( r e f e r r e d t o a s Shembe I ) t h e son of a farm l abou re r , was

i l l i t e r a t e . He had no c o n t a c t w i th western educat ion and d i d n o t develop

any s p i r i t u a l dependence i n regard t o t h e whi te c u l t u r e . H e was a

s i c k l y c h i l d bu t developed i n t o a h e a l t h y young man. Through l i g h t n i n g

he, who had a s a boy s e v e r a l r e v e l a t i o n s , r ece ived va r ious r e v e l a t i o n s .

A vo ice i n a thunderstorm t o l d him t o l e a v e h i s f ou r wives and t o shun

immorality (ukuhZobonga). The same vo i ce t o l d him t o l e ave h i s own

mother. A l l t h i s n e a r l y l e d t o s u i c i d e . ( c f . J. Dube, ushembe,

P ie te rmar i t zburg , 1936) . He be l ieved he saw "Jehovah" and was f i n a l l y

convinced of h i s c a l l i n g . When, a f t e r he was burned by l i g h t n i n g , h e

f i n a l l y l e f t h i s mother a l s o . He r e fu sed t o have t h e l i g h t n i n g burns

healed by medicine because Jehovah t o l d him t h a t he should on ly be hea led

by H i s Word. Shembe I went through many emotional storms b u t a l l

t h i s sharpened t h e q u a l i t i e s of a seer (oboniswayo) i n him and gave him

t h e s e l f a s su rance and persona l magnetism of a d i v i n e r .

Very l i t t l e i s known about h i s con t ac t w i th C h r i s t i a n i t y and t h e m i s s i o n a r i e s .

It is, however, known t h a t he was bap t i s ed by t h e Rev. W.M. Leshega of

the Afr ican B a p t i s t Church (an Af r i can Independent Church) i n 1906 - t h e

year of t h e Zulu Rebel l ion when t h e Zulus r e a c t e d a g a i n s t whi te o v e r r u l e

and t h e Zulu Congregational Church (ano ther independent Af r ican Church)

g r e a t l y inc reased . (cf . J . Wells, Stewar t of Lovedale, London, Hodder

and Stocghton 1980, 287-299).

1) The fo l lowers r e f e r more o f t e n t o him a s Inkos i I s i a h Shembe bu t I s a i a h is a l s o used.

When Shembe I broke away from t h e Afr ican B a p t i s t Church and founded

The Church of t he Nazar i tes i n 1911, t h e B a p t i s t Church had only 1,18%

of t h e whi te popula t ion i n South Afr ica . The Bap t i s t Church s t a r t e d

i t s missionary a c t i v i t i e s very l a t e i n t h e n ine t een th century i n Natal ,

- t h e Independent Bap t i s t Mission en te red Natal in 1892 and was a s s i s t e d

by t h e Swedish B a p t i s t s i n t h e United S t a t e s of America i n o rde r t o extend

i t s a c t i v i t i e s . The Afr ican B a p t i s t Church, however, never caught

t h e imagination of t he Zulu people.

Shembe I toge ther wi th a c e r t a i n Mlangeni, founded The Church of t h e

Nazar i tes (iBandla 1amaNazaretha) i n 1911 f u l l y convinced t h a t Saturday,

t he Old Testament Sabbath, i s t h e s p e c i a l day of Jehova c la iming a l l t he

Nazarene ve r se s , f o r h i s movement.Hememphasised t h a t only through t h e

Old Testament Sabbath can t h e Zulu na t ion be f u l l y r e s to red . The holy

S ina i of t h i s Church namely Nhlangakazi was s e l e c t e d by him i n 1913 before

the holy c i t y Ekuphakameni was e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1914.

When Shembe I founded the iBandla 1amaNazaretha i n 1911 over 85 per cen t

of t h e Afr ican populat ion s t i l l p r a c t i s e d t h e i r indigenous r e l i g i o n i n

Natal . Shembe I most probably joined t h e Afr ican Bap t i s t Church because

of i t s indigenous cha rac t e r , i t s l i t e r a l i s m i n B i b l i c a l expos i t i on and

t h e importance a t tached t o a d u l t baptism. But Shembe I had a deep

concern f o r the r e s t o r a t i o n of the Zulu na t ion which was weakened a s

a r e s u l t of the va r ious wars i t experienced v i t h t h e white man. It

was impossible t o do t h i s i n a small i s o l a t e d church. What he wanted

was a people ' s movement and t h i s i s what t h e iBandla 1arraNazaretha

became - more so , than any o t h e r independent church among the Zulu,

Some doubt has been r a i s e d t h a t I s i a h Shembe was a pure Nguni from which

the Zulu na t ion o r ig ina t ed . I n t he pre face t o t h e I z i h l a b e l e l o ZamaNazaretha,

t h e hymnal of The Church of t h e Nazar i tes c o n s i s t i n g of hymns mainly

composed by Shembe I (but some a l s o by Shembe 11) - t he f i r s t ever

published by an independent church - he s t a t e s t h a t he i s a Zulu of t h e

Zulus. Shembe I considered himself t o be a Ntungwa, a pure Nguni.

Some doubt t h i s and mainta in t h a t he i s of Sotho o r Tswana descent a s

he came from t h e Free S t a t e t o Natal . I n t h e pre face , however, he

emphasised t h a t he i s t h e son "of Mayekisa, of Nhliziyo of Mzazela,

of Sokhabuzela, of Nyathikazi" ; t h a t t h e Shembes a r e of "Ntungwa of

Nhlanzi of Donsa". Shembe I w a s i n h i s v e r y be ing a Zulu and V i l akaz i

s t a t e s about Shembe I1 t h a t h e i s " d e l i b e r a t e l y and unapo loge t i c a l l y

Zulu." (cf . A. V i l akaz i , Isonto L-zarwtha : The Church of t h e

Nazar i t e s , Connect icut , Ha r t fo rd Seminary Foundation, 1954, Unpubl.

M.A. d i s s e r t a t i o n ) .

Before Shembe I became a member of t h e Af r ican B a p t i s t Church he was

a l r eady known as a h e a l e r . A f t e r h i s c a l l he t r a v e l l e d by f o o t and

oxwagon i n Natal, v e r y seldom by bus o r t r a i n , b r i n g i n g h i s message,

d r i v i n g o u t demons, g iv ing people ho ly water as a way of h e a l i n g o r

p u r i f i c a t i o n , p reach ing i n s p i r e d by " the S p i r i t t t , and i n r a i n making.

He a c t e d l i k e a c h r i s t i a n i s e d d i v i n e r . H e concen t r a t ed on p reach ing

and h e a l i n g i n t h e k r a a l s and a longs ide water poo ls . Shembe I brought

t he a c t i v i t i e s of God, as t h e Zulus saw i t , n e a r t o them. Th is is

how Shembe 11, h i s son and successor s t a t e d i t namely " I s i a h Shembe

showed you a God who walks on f e e t and who h e a l s w i t h h i s hands."

(cf . B. G.M. Sundkler , Bantu Propk t s i n South Africa, Oxford Un ive r s i t y

Press , 1961 , 2 278). Furthermore, as t h e k i n g w a s t h e sum and subs tance

of t h e Zulu n a t i o n s o w a s Shembe I. The k ingsh ip p a t t e r n o f Zulu s o c i e t y

and i t s system of rank i s deeply i ng ra ined i n The Church of t h e

Nazar i t e s . Shembe I was n o t on ly media tor b u t became a mess ian ic

f i g u r e - a messiah f o r t h e Zulu n a t i o n which he hoped t o r e s t o r e t o

i t s former g l o r y through t h e d o c t r i n e s of h i s Church e s p e c i a l l y through

the Sabbath (Saturday) which t o him i s t h e key t o t h e f u t u r e and t o 2

heaven. (cf . Is1 .212 ) A f r i c a has exper ienced many mess ian ic

f i g u r e s du r ing t he l a s t few decades w i t h i n t h e con t ex t o f t h e p o l i t i c a l

a s p i r a t i o n s of t h e people of which KwameNkrumah i s a clear example.

Shembe I wished t o be connected w i t h t h e Zulu Royal Family and gave one

of h i s daughters f o r marr iage to a member of t h e Zulu Royal Family.

I n Shembe I t h e k ingsh ip type of l e a d e r s h i p i s combined w i t h t h e o f f i c e

of t h e isangoma ( d i v i n e r o r d o c t o r ) . What i s s a i d of bo th could be

s a i d of him. The isangoma opens up t h e f u t u r e by o v e r r u l i n g t h e f o r c e s

of darkness . The isangoma p r o f e s s i o n i s n o t by cho i ce b u t he / she

is chosen, e l e c t e d by a s p i r i t , whi le t h e o f f i c e of k ingsh ip among t h e

Zulu i s i n s t i t u t i o n a l .

The k i n g o r c h i e f forms an Lmportant l i n k w i th t h e s u p e r n a t u r a l world.

He is n o t merely a p o l i t i c a l head b u t a l s o a mys t i c a l and r e l i g i o u s

head, the d iv ine symbol of t he Zulu people 's well-being. He l i n k s the

na t ion with t h e superna tura l forces , e s p e c i a l l y the roya l ances tors who

s t i l l exe rc i se con t ro l over the na t ion through him. He r e f l e c t s t he

h ighes t wishes of t he r u l e r s of t he continued t r i b e o r n a t i o n on the o t h e r

s i d e with whom he i s i n symbiotic union. Special s a c r i f i c e s and prayers

a r e o f fe red a t t he graves of the departed kings during t h e Umkhosi

Omkhulu ( F i r s t f r u i t ) ceremonies. They a r e holy ( i . e . f u l l of numinous

power) i n a r i t u a l r a t h e r than s p i r i t u a l sense. With the Zulu t h e king

i s the br idge between t h e microcosmos and t h e macrocosmos. He is the

expression of the t o t a l i t y and cosmic un i ty of what i s here and what i s

beyond. The Zulu king i s the h ighes t symbol of what i s powerful; he is

the c e n t r e of t he r i t u a l . Treason aga ins t t h e king i s t reason a g a i n s t

t he whole people because he i s t h e symbol of the un i ty of the whole t r i b e

and a s such sacred. ( c f . E . J . Krige, The social system of the Zulus,

London, Longmans, Green & Co., 1936, 224). He i s the mani fes ta t ion of

the t ranscendental ; through him h i s fol lowers have cont inuing contac t with

the t ranscendental world. With him a s the symbol the fol lowers a r e

e x i s t e n t i a l l y involved.

It is here not a ques t ion of r a t i o n a l understanding but of psychic experience.

It has t o do with depth psychology. The king has t o do with the symbol

of cosmic s t r u c t u r e and through him the world and ind iv idua l Zulu's

ex is tence a r e revealed i n i t s t o t a l i t y . He gives meaning and, o r i e n t a t i o n

i n the world. It i s he who c r e a t e s cosmos out of chaos. The p o s i t i o n

of I s i a h Shembe, who i s continuously r e fe r r ed t o i n h i s hymns a s iNkosi

( the t i t l e f o r the Zulu king) has much of t h i s symbolic value. J u s t a s

the king 's leadersh ip p a t t e r n is based on t h a t of a metaphysical f igu re ,

and j u s t a s he performed the r e l i g i o u s ceremonies and magical a c t s f o r

the Zulu na t ion during the Umkhosi Omkhulu ( F i r s t f r u i t ceremonies)

e spec ia l ly , t he same way Shembe I acted on behalf of h i s fol lowers .

J u s t a s the Zulu king was the g rea t medicine man of the Zulu na t ion on

whom they were dependent f o r t h e i r well-being so Shembe I became not

only t h e metaphysical c e n t r e of h i s followers but a l s o t h e i r g r e a t

medicine man. This expla ins why Shembe I was the mediator between h i s

fol lowers and Umvelingqangi (God) and not Jesus i n s p i t e of the f a c t

t h a t they s t a t e Shembe I knows about Jesus . Jesus does not f a l l wi thin

the gynealogy of the Zulu na t ion and cannot thus be the metaphysical

cen t r e f o r them. On the quest ion why they pray t o Shembe I the r ep ly 11 i s : Jesus i s your kind; Shembe i s our kind".

Shembe I h a s as main concern t h e r e s t o r a t i o n of t h e Zulu na t ion . I n t h i s

sense he s t a r t e d a l i b e r a t i o n movement but wi th a s t rong s p i r i t u a l b i a s .

One immediatelysees in t h e preface of t h e hymnal how t h e g lo r ious Zulu

h i s t o r y of t h e p a s t i s r e l i v e d and how t h e o l d kings p l ay a r o l e . Shembe I

was desirous t o g e t i n t o the Zulu royal family with the r e s u l t t h a t he

gave one of h i s daughters t o Solomon kaDinuzulu, t h e Zulu king. It was

f o r Shembe I important t o be r e l a t e d t o t h e roya l ty as it was i n the

e a r l y s t ages of the independent church l eade r s and even h i s t o r i c a l main

l i n e pas to r s t o be r e l a t e d t o roya l ty . With Shembe I it was n o t merely

a mat ter of s t a t u s and inf luence but a matter of anthropological and

s o t e r i o l o g i c a l s ign i f i cance . H e r epea t s t h e following v e r s e twice i n

Isl . 116 ( c f . verses 1 and 5) :

Uyabizwa Nkosi Solomini

Mntaka Dinuzulu

Naludumo luka Jehova

Lus' Ekuphakameni

You a r e being c a l l e d Nkosi Solomon

t h e son of Dinuzulu

Here i s the fame of Jehova

i t i s i n Ekuphakameni

1 In Isl . 217 the Zulu na t ion i s p i c tu red a s s tanding before t h e ihxosi :

Yizani wema Zulu

S iy iboni le Inkos i yethu

Sivela t h ina kwelizayo

S iy iboni le Inkos i yethu

Come ye Zulus

we have seen our king ( Inkos i )

we come from t h e world t h a t i s t o come

we have seen ou r k ing

Coming from the o t h e r world i s no t s t range t o t h e Zulu mind as one could

e n t e r i t through dreams. I n the supe r sc r ip t ion t o Isl. 220 which he has

supposedly w r i t t e n a f t e r h i s r e su r rec t ion , Shembe I i s r e f e r r e d t o as 3 iNkosi I s i a h Shembe. I n Isl. 221 Johannes Ga l i l ee , h i s son and

successor, r e f e r s t o him a s "Nkosi yamakhosi"(the king of k ings) . He

i s an iNkosi, a s t h e k ing of t h e Zulu na t ion i s an iNkosi. He i s t h e

sum and substance of t h e Church he has founded; i t i s he who w i l l l ead

the Zulu na t ion t o the promised land a s Moses d i d with the people of

I s r a e l . The Chief type of Church l eade r ' s primary requirement i s 11 i s i t hunz i , which one could t r a n s l a t e wi th "presence", pres t ige" ,

conrmanding pe r sona l i t y . I s i a h Shembe has f i n a l l y been declared a sa in t

a t a meeting he ld on the 19th J u l y 1981 a t Ekuphakameni.

The kingship type of leadersh ip could be combined with the leadersh ip

p a t t e r n of the d iv ine r . What develops from t h i s is a prophet ic f i g u r e

and t h i s was s t rong ly represented i n Shembe I who was c a l l e d t o h i s t a s k

by v i s ions h e had, voices i n a thunderstorm he heard and l i g h t n i n g k i l l i n g

h i s bes t ox. The "death" and "resurrect ion" experience of a d iv ine r

- death t o the o ld , resur rec ted i n t o t h e new - was a l s o h i s experience.

H i s whole l i f e was evidence of a char ismat ic leader . H i s c a l l i n g accompanied

by dreams was "sealed" i n heaven, where he received h i s ord ina t ion , according

t o h i s hymns. The community, the fol lowers , pu t t h e i r s e a l on h i s c a l l i n g

i n accept ing him a s t h e i r iNkosi.

There i s no uniformity among scholars on the i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of t h i s Church

and i ts leadersh ip mainly due t o the f a c t t h a t t h e l o g i c of western

thinking does not apply. Sundkler has described Shembe I a s a Black

Messiah but l a t e r saw him more a s an icon, a mask of the Supreme Being

r a t h e r than a s a messianic f igu re . Marie-Louise Martin i n he r doc tora l

t h e s i s ( c f . The Biblical concept of Messianism and Messianism i n Southern

Africa, Morija P r i n t i n g Works, 1964) described him a s a messianic f i g u r e

who usurps the place of the b i b l i c a l Messiah and who becomes the saviour

of h i s people. This i s p rec i se ly the pos i t ion . No Shembeite wishes

t o be c a l l e d Chr i s t i an and t h i s i s t h e i r r i g h t .

JOHANNES GALILEE SHEMBE (SHEMBE 11)

On 2 May 1935 Shembe I, passed away. Where a l eade r i s the "sum and

substance" of h i s fol lowers , a s e r ious c r i s i s develops when he d i e s and

no l eade r has been c l e a r l y ind ica ted . The major reason i s t h a t the

followers had been so in t ima te ly connected with the whole being of the

leader t h a t they f i n d t h e c e s s a t i o n of t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p nothing l e s s

than t raumatic .

Although Shembe I took f o r h i s fol lowers the p lace of the king, he was

i n h i s p r a c t i c a l min i s t ry more of a prophet type than chief type.

Bas ica l ly he was the king, t he "President f o r l i f e " a term used so o f t e n

i n s t a t e c o n s t i t u t i o n s . The chief type of church l eade r i s more l a s t i n g

than the prophet type because the funct ion of the chief o r king was i n h e r i t e d

which was not t h e case with the d iv iner . Cer ta in passages, such a s

Numbers 20 : 28 i s o f t e n quoted i n regard t o inhe r i t ance namely "and

Moses s t r ipped Aaron of h i s garments, and pu t them on EleSzar h i s

son ..... " But t h e son must be mature and here Galations 4:l is

r e fe r r ed t o namely "I mean t h a t t he h e i r , a s long a s he is a c h i l d ,

is no b e t t e r than a s l ave , though he i s the owner of a l l t h e e s t a t e ;

but he i s under guardians and t r u s t e e s u n t i l t h e da te set by the fa ther ."

Shembe I had th ree sons and when he passed away a c e r t a i n amount of

tension arose i n regard t o t h e succession i s sue . Isaack Stane la Shembe,

the e l d e s t son, was t o be the general h e i r according t o Native Law and

not Johannes Ga l i l ee Shembe o r Amos Kula Chitokwakhiwayo Shembe. Shembe I,

however, e l ec t ed h i s second son, Johannes Gal i lee , born 27 J u l y 1904,

who took over i n J u l y 1935. A small f a c t i o n wanted the t r a d i t i o n a l Zulu

procedure regarding the e l e c t i o n of a chief t o be followed while t h e

majority abided by the decis ion of Shembe I namely t h a t h i s second son;

the un ive r s i ty t r a ined Johannes Gal i lee Shembe, be h i s successor. Two

main pa t t e rns i n regard t o the appointment of a l eade r a r e t o be discerned

i n the independent churches namely the so-called "democratic" p a t t e r n

based on the choice of the congregation and where the l eade r is primus

i n t e r pares ( " f i r s t among equals") - t h i s i s seldom found i n the inde=

pendent churches. The o t h e r p a t t e r n i s t h a t based on the metaphysical

f igure of the Chief o r King o f t e n i n a s soc ia t ion with the o f f i c e of

d iv iner which r e s u l t i n a prophet ic type of leadersh ip .

Johannes Gal i lee Shembe received h i s un ive r s i ty t r a i n i n g a t t h e Univers i ty

College of Fort Hare and became a teacher a t Adams College i n Natal

from where he went t o take over the leadersh ip of The Church of the

Nazarites a f t e r h i s f a t h e r had passed away. About t h i s type of succession

the followers maintained t h a t "the o l d Shembe had always declared t h a t

although the o l d f l e s h might d i e one day, the essence of Shembe remains

i n the new f l e s h . In o t h e r words, he would c a s t h i s mantle "of power

upon h i s son". (c f . Vi lakazi , 57) . This i s a c t u a l l y expressed i n 4 . Shembe I1 Is l . 233 .

Wathurna Inceku yakhe

I za nabaNgcwele

Ngayo ingubo yokuphil a

Bangembesa mina

He sen t h i s Servant

who came with the s a i n t s

with the blanket of l i f e

they clothed me

This hymn rece ives s p e c i a l s t a t u s a s i t was received by Shembe I1 on

t h e holy mountain, Nhlangakazi. I n Isl . 233:6 he a l s o r evea l s h i s

continuous dependence upon h i s f a t h e r , I s i a h Shembe :

Mangibeke kuwe Nkosi Let me look unto you, Nkosi

Ngisinde ekufeni May I escape from death

Mangibambe i sand la sakho May I hold your hand

Ngiphume emgodini so t h a t I come ou t of t he va l l ey of death

The hymn which was composed on 27 October 1945 on Nhlangakazi r e f e r s

t o h i s grave i l l n e s s i n Apr i l 1941. Although "the son i s the extension

of t h e f a t h e r ' s personal i ty" which i s expressed i n Zulu a s ukuzaZa

ukuzeZuZa a m a t b b o (cf . Vilakazi , 72), he always remains dependent

from h i s f a t h e r . I n regard t o t h e Father-Sou r e l a t i o n s h i p i n the Zulu

context , the doc t r ine of t h e T r i n i t y i n B i b l i c a l terms i s d i f f i c u l t f o r

t he pre-Chris t ian Zulu t o accept . I n the context of Zulu s o c i a l values

i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o see the Son a s equal with God - t he T r i n i t y upse t s

these values ( c f . Vi lakazi , 28). Shembe I, even a f t e r h i s passing away,

remains t h e very essence of the ex is tence of t h e community a s seen i n

Is;. 221 which J . G . Shembe composed (received) on t h e holy mountain i n

January 1938; a hymn which i s sung only on the "day of memory". The 1 I f i r s t verse r e f e r s to the day Shembe I passed away and when t h e angels

a r r ived" t o f e t c h him. On t h a t day "the world was shaking, t he Zulus

reported t o one another , the s t a r s wept, i t was f r igh ten ing , i t was

f r igh ten ing ; the iNkosi departed". (Verse 2 ) ; the t h i r d ve r se r e f e r

t o hin: a s the "king of the k ings , You my l ibe ra to r " . But i n verse 8

i t i s s t a t e d t h a t he l i v e s on i n h i s son namely :

lnyarna yami ikhz the le ;

I z o l a l a ethuneni

Umoya w a m i uzovuka

Wembath' inyama entsha ,

Kwaphakade bengj ze lwe

Nanini ngiya kuba~hona

He then concludes :

Baba wami ongithandayo uze

ungikhumbui e

My f l e s h i s t i r e d ;

i t i s going t o l i e i n t h e grave

my s p i r i t w i l l r i s e

and be c lothed i n new f l e s h

From o ld I was born

forever I w i l l be t h e r e

My f a t h e r who loves me,

Mina ngane yakho encane

Ngisarel e emhl aben i

Ngiyathanda Baba wami

Ukuba ngibe nawe

me your smal l c h i l d

who i s s t i l l on e a r t h

I would l i k e my f a t h e r

t h a t I be w i t h you

There i s c l e a r evidence i n t h e hymns of t h i s cont inuous dependence of

Shembe 11 on h i s l a te f a t h e r . I n Isl . 223 v e r s e 1 he r e f e r s t o

himself as "your follower' ' i .e. of h i s f a t h e r ; t h a t he fol lowed him from

childhood, t h a t he w i l l f o l l ow him i n t h e holy c i t y and on t h e ho ly

mountain and ask h i s f a t h e r t o hold him n e a r t o him. No wonder t h a t

i n t h i s church J e sus as t h e Son o f God can be r ep l aced by I s i a h Shembe

i n regard t o t h e m e d i a t o r i a l func t ion . The Son has very l i t t l e s t and ing

without t h e f u l l suppor t of t h e Fa ther . J e s u s can be t h e mediator f o r

t h e white man and Shembe I t h a t f o r t h e Zulu.

Johannes G a l i l e e Shembe became t h e successor t o h i s f a t h e r I s i a h .

On 30th J u l y 1935 a Deed of T m t was drawn up be fo re an a t t o r n e y which

reads : "The T i t u l a r Head s h a l l con t inue i n o f f i c e du r ing h i s l i f e

time so long a s he con t inues t o observe and fo l l ow t h e t e n e t s of t h e

Church of Nazareth, bu t he s h a l l be removed from o f f i c e should he become

insane and convic ted of any i s s u e r e f e r r e d t o i n t h e f i r s t schedule t o

t h e Criminal Law and Evidence Act , 1917, o r upon o t h e r grounds which t h e

Supreme Court of South Af r i ca , Natal, P rov inc i a l Div i s ion , may regard a s

adequate". Clause 10 of t h e Deed of T rus t s t a t e s : "A c e r t i f i c a t e

s igned by t h e Chairman of t h e Executive and t h e Advisory Committee and

counter s igned by t h e s e c r e t a r y and being a l s o t h e s i g n a t u r e of t h e

appointee t o a s t a tement t h a t he accep t s t h e appointment o f f e r e d t o him,

s h a l l be s u f f i c i e n t evidence of t h e appointment of a successor t o t h e

T i t u l a r Head f o r a l l purposes and t h e R e g i s t r a t i o n of Deeds and t h e Master

of t h e Supreme Court s h a l l be bound by such c e r t i f i c a t e . " Th is was

signed on 30 th J u l y by Johannes G a l i l e e Shembe.

The l e ade r sh ip of Shembe I1 was never doubted ( a f t e r t h e i n i t i a l r e a c t i o n

by a small group) i n subsequent y e a r s . But he always worked under t h e

guidance of h i s f a t h e r from whom s p e c i f i c a hymnal came a f t e r h i s r e s u r r e c t i c

f o r example, Isl . 220, a s h o r t hymn of which t h e s u p e r s c r i p t i o n states

t h a t "it was w r i t t e n by iNkosi I s i a h Shembe May 1939. Af t e r h i s r i s i n g

from t h e dead." The hymn r e f e r s a l s o t o t h e l i b e r a t i o n of t h e Zulus :

1 . Wake up it i s a l ready morning

the Zulu became de jec ted i n the land

2. Grow up Kuphakama

t h e new c i t y

The Zulu became de jec ted i n the land.

2 H i s f a t h e r i s pra i sed i n Is1.235 a s one who does not r e j e c t a person because

of s i n , n e i t h e r s e l e c t a person because of the colour of h i s skin.

Ezulwini nguwe wedwa

Imiphefumulo ingeyakho;

Awukhethi i b a l a lomuntu

Awubheki isono

I n heaven i t i s you alone,

t h e sou l s a r e yours;

You do not choose by the colour of a

person

You do not look a t s i n

H i s g rea t respec t f o r and dependence fron; h i s f a t h e r , have smoothed t h e

way of Shembe I1 amcng the fol lowers of The Church of the Nazar i tes .

The r e a l problem s t a r t e d i n t h e church when Shembe I1 did not ove r t ly

appoint a successor.

THE SUCCESSION ISSUE AFTER SHEMBE 11's DEMISE

Af te r a r e l a t i v e l y lo rg i l l n e s s Shembe I1 passed away on 19 December 1976

and was buried on 2 January 1977 a t Ekuphakameni. Since then the quest ion

of succession has not only aroused much i n t e r e s t but a l s o grave c o n f l i c t wi thin

the iBandla zamaNazaretha. Two f a c t i o n s arose namely between t h e supporters

of Amos Shembe, bro ther of Shembe I1 and those of Londa, son of Shembe 11.

Amos Shembe a l s o s tud ied a t Fort Hare but did not complete h i s degree while

Londa took a B Proc. degree with UNISA which he completed.

During the c l a shes i n December 1976, soon a f t e r t he death of Shembe 11, a

prominent e l d e r l y preacher and leader of t he Church E l fa s Mpimpiza Nduli,

was stoned t o death when he was pushed out of t he bui ld ing where Shembe 11's

body was taken. Women accused him f o r the death of Shembe I1 maintaining

t h a t he was respons ib le f o r t h e "poison" which was put i n t o t h e microphone

when Shenbe I1 spoke the l a s t time before he became se r ious ly ill. I n an

h i s t e r i c a l frenzy they chased the o l d man and k i l l e d him with s tones .

claims t h a t he has been o f f i c i a l l y appointed T i t u l a r head of t h e Church

on the 24th J u l y 1977 by an "overwhelming major i ty" of members p r e s e n t

a t a meeting and t h a t a v a s t ma jo r i t y of t h e members of t h e Church have

accepted and recognised him, Amos Kula Shembe, as t h e l e a d e r of t h e Church.

The d i spu t e became i n t e n s i f i e d when "a very small sec t ion" of t h e members

claimed t h a t Londa Shembe was t h e T i t u l a r head of t h e Church. I n an

a f f i d a v i t (dated 13 October 1977) p resen ted t o t h e Bantu Af f a i r s Commissioners

Court f o r t h e d i s t r i c t of Inanda he ld a t Verulam,Londa Shembe states t h a t

he i s p a s t o r of t h i s Church, and t h a t he has been appointed i t s new T i t u l a r

head and T rus t ee i n terms of a c e r t i f i c a t e which was handed i n t o t h e Court.

He adds t h a t A.K. Shembe is a b r o t h e r of h i s f a t h e r and adds t h a t "upon t h e

death of my f a t h e r was appointed t h e temporary r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of t h e E s t a t e f 1

u n t i l "he was removed by t h e Commissioner of t h e above Honourable Court on

the 3rd day of August 1977 f o r d e r e l i c t i o n and d i s r e g a r d o f h i s duties. ' '

A memorial s e r v i c e f o r Shembe 11 was planned f o r 19 December 1977 a t Ekupha=

kameni - a year a f t e r h i s demise. This would be fol lowed by t h e January

meeting a t Nhlangakazi, t h e holy mountain. Many Shembeites a r r i v e d from

var ious p a r t s of t h e country on t h e weekend s t a r t i n g 1 1 December 1977.

A f a c t i o n f i g h t broke o u t dur ing t h e weekend a t Ekuphakameni i n which

f i v e people l o s t t h e i r l i v e s . he Bantu A f f a i r s Cormnissioner's Court

f o r t he d i s t r i c t of Inanda he ld a t Verulam (Case No. 2311977) was approached

and n o t i c e of a p p l i c a t i o n was given " i n t e r d i c t i n g and r e s t r i c t i n g Amos

Kula Shembe, Preacher Dladla and s e rgean t Khawula from :

1 . 1 . Assau l t ing o r t h r ea t en ing t o a s s a u l t Londa Shembe and

1.2. I n t e r f e r i n g and o b s t r u c t i n g Londa Shembe. "

Londa has thus h i s open a s s e r t i o n of l e ade r sh ip backed by t h i s i n t e r d i c t

da ted 6 January 1978. A s a r e s u l t of t h i s t h e Church was c l e a r l y d iv ided

i n t o two f a c t i o n s . A.K. Shembe r e f u t e d t h e i n t e r d i c t which gave t h e

impression t h a t Londa Shembe i s t h e t i t u l a r head of t h e Church "encouraging1'

says he "Londa Shembe's group t o c l a im t r u e a u t h o r i t y i n t h e Church and

t o be l e g a l l y e n t i t l e d t o be a t Ekuphakameni which i s no t accepted by t h e

major i ty of the members." A.K. Shembe took a s t and a g a i n s t t he i n t e r d i c t .

Londa Shembe then admitted t h a t t h e leadersh ip d ispute is "complex and

extensive". He d i spu tes t h a t h i s uncle Amos Shembe i s "an ordained

minis te r of the Nazareth Bapt i s t Church" according t o M r B.W. Garland,

the a t to rney who a c t s on Londa Shembefs behalf . ( c f . Case No. M. 727178).

It is s t a t e d i n t h i s document which served before the Supreme Court of

South Afr ica i n Pietermari tzburg t h a t i n regard t o the "nature" of t he

Church "its analogy t o western churches i s i n dispute." Londa adds f u r t h e r :

"the appl icant contends f o r a democratic type church whereas I contend t h a t

the Church i s a Chief and t r i b e type of Church." This can hardly be

disputed a s I s i a h Shembefs i d e a l was t o e s t a b l i s h a Zuluised Old Testament

based r e l i g i o n i n which t h e messianic f i g u r e and the chief type a r e in t eg ra t ed .

The two fac t ions l ed t o the d iv id ing of Ekuphakameni, the holy c i t y , i n t o

two sec t ions - t he one occupying the e a s t e r n and the o t h e r the south western

sid,e of the road. Within t h e grounds of Ekuphakameni a r e s i t u a t e d a l a r g e

church, c a l l e d the blother Church, var ious chapels, "mission" rooms, l e c t u r e ,

c l a s s and dwelling rooms, dwelling accommodation f o r pas to r s and teachers

and members a t tending t o and engaged upon the work of the Church of Nazareth,;

a school,shops, a cemetry and i n p a r t i c u l a r t he a rea known a s "Paradis i"

where open meetings and o the r r i tes and ceremonies a r e ce lebra ted . This

a r e a of land has a very holy and spec ia l s ign i f i cance f o r the general Church

body.

C n the 10th October 1977 the po l i ce sergeant a t Inanda, the nea res t po l i ce

s t a t i o n t o Ekuphakameni, s t a t e d t h a t " there should be no c ross ing of the

road by e i t h e r fac t ion ." There ex i s t ed g rea t enmity and h o s t i l i t y between

the two p a r t i e s based on the opposi te s i d e s of the road a t Ekuphakameni.

The holy p laces a r e divided such a s Pa rad i s i and the "holy graves". Even

the shops which f a l l cnder the Church's adminis t ra t ion during Shembe 11's

re ign, i s a bone of content ion and may not be patronised by the one f ac t ion .

Even the "founder's mausoleurn" i s i n the hands of one f a c t i o n because t h e i r

l eader has i t s keys, i n s p i t e of the f a c t t h a t i t i s i n the "domain" of the

o the r leader . The water supply was guarded by the one f ac t ion before

Amos Shembe and h i s fol lowers moved out r ecen t ly 10 km away from Ekuphakameni

t o e s t a b l i s h t h e i r own Jerusalem. One f a c t i o n thus cannot bury t h e i r dead

i n the "holy grave yard", ge t water from the water supply cen t r e and anything

from t h e shop. Londa and h i s fol lowers occupy the main church bui ld ing

s ince October 1977. This modus vivendi r u l e s s ince October 1977 i n order

t o keep the peace. The Inandal Ndwedwe Road c u t s the grounds more o r less

i n ha l f . Various accusat ions are s lung around such as arson, rape, a s s a u l t s ,

malicious i n j u r y t o proper ty , t h e f t , pub l i c violence and murder. Sixty-eight

of t he one f a c t i o n faced a t one s t age charges of publ ic violence and murder.

Members who l i v e d i n t h e sec t ion n o t of t h e i r l eade r were e j ec t ed .

On I 1 December 1977 Londa's f a c t i o n was a t tacked by suppor te rs of Amos Shembe

a s s i s t e d by members of a t r i b e known as Maquadi a f t e r members of Londa's

group have been e j e c t e d from Amos Shembe's s i d e of t h e road. Accusations

of being biased were a l s o launched aga ins t t h e po l ice . Amos' s i d e was even

accused of arson. On t h e 5 t h J u l y 1978 t h e p o l i c e r e i t e r a t e d the r u l i n g

i n regard t o the c ross ing of t he road namely t h a t i t i s forbidden f o r members

of one sec t ion t o e n t e r t h a t of t h e o the r . The Ju ly f e s t i v a l a t which

occasion thousands upon thousands of Shembeites from a l l over South Afr ica

gathered a t Ekuphakameni dur ing Ju ly of every year , was banned i n 1978.

The Magistrate c i r c u l a t e d through the p o l i c e o f f i c i a l s on 7 Ju ly 1978

t h a t no open a i r meetings should be held pending the f i n a l determination

of the main case which was s e t down f o r twenty days from 7 August 1978.

The a u t h o r i t i e s expected violence i f ga ther ings were permitted. Guards

were put a t the ga t e as fol lowers of one f a c t i o n debarred from P a r a d i s i

i n s i s t e d t h a t they should have access t o t h i s holy place where they always

gathered i n the presence of Shembe I and 11.

The a t to rney f o r M r Londa Shembe, M r B.W. Garland, addressed a l e t t e r dated

5 Ju ly 1978 t o the Chief magis t ra te of Verulam i n which he requested t h a t

the whole matter should be inves t iga t ed " in terms of the Riotous Assemblies

Act No 17 of 1956." He adds : "We be l i eve t h a t i t would be r i g h t and

proper i n t he pub l i c i n t e r e s t t h a t i n terms of s ec t ion 2 of t he s a i d Act

t ha t you p roh ib i t t h e gather ings of the Shembe f e s t i v a l o r t h e Church

of Nazareth f o r the whole month of J u l y 1978 a t Inanda. We might add

t h a t we f e e l t h a t t h e gather ings should be f u r t h e r p roh ib i t ed u n t i l t h e

Supreme Court has pronounced on the leadersh ip d i spute . 11

A s f a r a s t h i s Act i s concerned, which was promulgated on 31 March 1978

i n the Government Gazette No. 628 reference i s made t o Sect ion 2 (3 ) (a ) of

Act 17 of 1956. "Whereas I, James Thomas Kruger, Minis ter of J u s t i c e

deem i t necessary f o r t he maintenance of pub l i c peace. I hereby p r o h i b i t ,

i n terms of Sect ion 2(3) (a ) of t h e Riotous Assemblies Act, 1956 (Act 17 of

1956), any gather ing i n the Republic of South Afr ica from 1 Apri l 1978

up to and including 30 September 1978 except i n t he case of gather ings -

1 1 of a bona fide spor t ing na tu re ; o r

2 taking p lace wholly and f o r as long a s they l a s t wi th in the wal l s of a bu i ld ing o r

3) a t any t i m e express ly authorised by me o r t he magis t ra te of t he d i s t r i c t concerned." (Dated 17 March 1978)

The mat te r served then a s Case No. M727178 before t h e Supreme Court of

South Afr ica - Durban and Coast Local Division - i n which Amos Kula Shembe

i s t h e appl icant and Londa Shembe the respondent. The applicant 's a t to rney

s t a t e d i n a l e t t e r t h a t t he respondent must show by 28th Ju ly 1978 a t 9.30 a.m.

why a f i n a l o rder not be granted i n t h e following terms :

" 1 ) That Londa Shembe , of Ekuphakameni Mission S ta t ion , InandaINdwedwe

Road d i s t r i c t Inanda, be hereby ordered t o d e s i s t from prevent ing

o r encouraging h i s followers t o prevent Amos Kula Shembe and h i s

followers from en te r ing any por t ion of the land wi th in 4 wards

being Sub B of Lot 7 of C of A of the farm Piezang River, i n the

County of Vic tor ia , Province of Natal , i n ex ten t 11,340 Hectares

( the sa id land) on which is s i t u a t e d the Ekuphakameni Mission

S ta t ion , and from a t tending the annual general meeting and o t h e r

funct ions and se rv ices held on any por t ion of the sa id land which

the sa id Amos Kula Shembe o r any of h i s fol lowers may wish t o hold

o r a t t e n d u n t i l the case Michael Mtshali versus Londa Shembe (Supreme

Court Case No M655177) is resolved; and f o r

2) This p a r t of the order s t a t e s t h a t Londa and h i s followers s top

a s s a u l t i n g o r molesting the Applicant o r any of h i s fol lowers ,

not t o e n t e r any por t ion of the sa id land o r a t tend the annual

general meeting se rv ice o r funct ion of the Nazareth Bap t i s t Church

"on the s a i d land which they wish to hold o r a t tend." This was

signed by the Applicant 's a t to rney on 14th July 1978.

About the d ispute of A.K. Shembe's ord ina t ion and h i s leadership

i t is s t a t e d : I am a duly ordained min i s t e r of r e l i g i o n

wi th in the Nazareth Bap t i s t Church and the acknowledged leader

of a very l a rge f a c t i o n of t h a t Church's c lergy and l a y membership.

3 I be appointed Trustee of the Church of Nazareth E c c l e s i a s t i c a l

Trust." He adds : "I v e r i l y be l ieve myself t o be acknowledged

l eader of a f a c t i o n of the Church body very much l a r g e r than t h e

f a c t i o n which supports t h e Respondent ..... The a l l e g a t i o n i s

t h a t t he Respondents' fo l lowers have "wrongfully, mal ic iously and

unlawfully" dr iven fol lowers of h i s f a c t i o n "by fo rce from t h e

Mission and i t s grounds." He s t a t e s f u r t h e r t h a t "Londa i s no t

the T i t u l a r Head of t h i s Church and a Trustee of i t s E c c l e s i a s t i c a l

Endowment Trus t a s t h i s ma t t e r i s s t i l l sub judice. The Church

property i s s t i l l r e g i s t e r e d i n t h e name of i t s previous T i t u l a r

Head and Trustee , Isaack Shembe, who holds t h e proper ty f o r o r

on behalf of t h e congregation of t h e Nazareth Bap t i s t Church i n

terms of t he Deed of Trus t dated 29th June 1935."

Amos Shembe s t a t e s f u r t h e r i n a memorandum t h a t upon t h e death of I s i a h Shembe

h i s e l d e s t son Isaack Shembe "sole h e i r according t o Bantu Law . . . . . executed a Notar ia l Deed of Trus t with t he purpose of c r e a t i n g a t r u s t and

t r ans fe r r ing c e r t a i n landed proper ty held by him on behalf of t he congregation

t o t h a t t r u s t . " I t i s s i g n i f i c a n t t o n o t i c e how met iculously Bantu Law

was followed. I n terms of Clause I Isaack Shembe appointed Johannes G a l i l e e

Shembe "the recognised T i t u l a r Head of the Church of Nazareth ....... t o be the Trustee of t he Trust . I n Clause 2 Isaack Shembe "undertook

to donate and pass t r a n s f e r t o t he Trustee , on t r u s t , c e r t a i n 40 immovable

proper t ies ."

In t h i s document the procedure i n e l e c t i n g a successor i s a l so mentioned.

Clause 8 provides : "Upon the o f f i c e of the T i t u l a r Head of t he Church

of Nazareth becoming vacant t h e Executive and Advisory Committee s h a l l e l e c t

a successor from amongst t he p a s t o r s of t he Church of Nazareth and such

successor may be one of the mercbers of the s a i d Executive and Advisory

Committee, provided t h a t i f t h e o f f i c e should be rendered vacant by death

and the deceased T i t u l a r Head s h a l l have recomended c e r t a i n names from

which h i s successor i s t o be appointed, then t h e choice of a successor

s h a l l be confined t o t he choice of those persons whose names have been

recomended by t h e deceased T i t u l a r Head."

Clause 9 of the Notar ia l Deed of Trust s t a t e s : "Should no T i t u l a r Head

of the Church of Nazareth be appointed wi th in 12 months from the o f f i c e

having been vacant any pas to r of t he Church of Nazareth a t t h e expense of

the Trust ,may n o t i f y the Supreme Court o f South Af r i c a , Natal Prov inc ia l

Division, to appoint an a c t i n g t r u s t e e t o c a r r y out t he prov is ions of t h e

Trust b e d u n t i l such t i m e a s a successor t o the T i t u l a r Head s h a l l have been

duly appointed."

Apart from Shembe I1 t h e r e were two o t h e r remaining t r u s t e e s namely

K. Gumede and 2. Mgaba. Shembe I1 died i n t e s t a t e on 19 December 1976.

An i n t e r i m consul tan t has been appointed by the Bantu A f f a i r s Commissioner,

t o represent t h e i n t e s t a t e e s t a t e i n terns of Regulation 4(1) of theflRegulations

f o r t h e Administrat ion and Dis t r ibu t ion of the E s t a t e s of Deceased ~ a n t u . "

Reference i s a l s o made t o an unsigned "const i tut ion" dated 27 March 1964.

This has mainly t o do wi th o b j e c t s and b e l i e f s of t he Church and landed

p rope r t i e s t o be r eg i s t e red i n t h e name of f i v e Trustees. The g rea t i s sue ,

however, i s whether the re were ever t e n members appointed by t h e l a t e I s i a h

Shembe on the Executive and Advisory Committee, and i f he d id t h i s whether

they o r any of them a r e s t i l l i n ex is tence and a b l e t o nominate a successor

as T i t u l a r Head of the Church.

According t o the a t to rney the re i s no such Executive Advisory Committee.

The problem remains the appointment of a Trustee of t he Trust c rea t ed i n

terms of the Notar ia l Deed of Trust . There i s no Executive and Advisory

Committee, nobody thus t o appoint a T i t u l a r Head i n the fu tu re . The Supreme

Court has been granted the power and duty t o appoint a t r u s t e e t o a t r u s t

which has no t r u s t e e . The a t to rneys a r e of the opinion t h a t t he Court

has no power t o appoint a T i t u l a r Head of the Church "and the Deed of

Trust does not purport t o give i t t h a t power." Neither has the Court

the power t o appoint an Executive Advisory Committee s ince "the power t o

appoint such a committee i s , i n terms of Clause 6 of the Deed of Trus t ,

vested i n the Trustee." In t h i s case i t i s necessary t o apply t o the

Court f o r the appointment of a Trustee.

The quest ion i s who the Trustee should be. The so lu t ion proposed i s t h a t

the Trustee be nominated and approved by the members of the Church and

he s h a l l administer the p rope r t i e s r e f e r r e d t o i n the Deed of Trust f o r

the bene f i t of t he Church. Rather than apply t o the Court f o r the appointment

of the Trustee , i t was thought t h a t the c o r r e c t procedure w i l l be t o r e f e r

the mat ter t o the members of the Church. The idea was t h a t a t t he Annual

General &e t ing during Ju ly 1977 they could nominate a pas to r t o make

app l i ca t ion t o the Supreme Court, Natal Provincial Division, f o r such

I appointment. The idea was t h a t the person appointed should be n e i t h e r

j Londa Shembe nor Amos Shembe; t h a t i f t he Court approve of t h e Trustee then

i n terms of the Deed of Trust , t h e Trustee can appoint t h e necessary

I Executive and Advisory Committee. The Court, however, cannot make an

i appointment of a T i t u l a r Head. It i s f o r t h e Church members t o decide

and t h i s , according t o t h e a t to rney , means t h e adoption of a proper cons t i tu t ion .

The a t torney suggested i n h i s memorandum dated 1 Ju ly 1977 t h a t t h e mat ter

be re fer red back t o t h e Church.

An a f f i d a v i t was handed i n a t t h e Supreme Court by Michael M t s h a l i . He

s t a t e s t h a t on 24 Ju ly 1977 a t a meeting of min i s t e r s , preachers and deaconesses

it was unanimously resolved t h a t Amos K. Shembe be made T i t u l a r Head of the

Church; t h a t a t the next s e rv ice a t tended by most of the members of t h e

Church who were a t t end ing the annual general meeting, i t was announced t h a t

Amos K. Shembe i s the T i t u l a r Head whereby the congregation, according t o

him, responded with an "Amen" . A t a f u r t h e r meeting of min i s t e r s , preachers

and deaconesses he ld on 9 October 1977 i t was r e i t e r a t e d t h a t Amos K. Shembe

w i l l be the successor.

On 6 January 1978 audience was granted before H i s Majesty the king,

Zweletini KaBekuZulu a t t h e Royal Kraal Dlamahlahla a t Nongoma. A Zulu

audience with Londa Shembe, Michael Mtshali and Amos Kula Shembe the c e n t r a l

f igures convened before the king. The a f f i d a v i t s t a t e s : "It was requested

of the king t h a t he a s the f a t h e r of the gather ing s e t t l e t he d ispute once

and f o r a l l . " According t o the king Amos Shembe i s only a Regent a s the

"leader of the Church i s t o be one of the n a t u r a l sons of the Rev. Johannes

Gali lee Shembe." The king advised t h a t Amos Shembe go back and f ind out

who the leader i s among the sons of Shembe 11; t h a t t he Regent br ing him

t o the Royal Kraal; t h a t Londa and Amos Shembe merge t h e i r suppor te rs .

Amos, the min i s t e r and preachers accepted the ru l ing . Michael Mtshali

s t a t e s t h a t the Minis te r of J u s t i c e of KwaZulu objected t o the involvement

of the Royal Kraal i n Church d i spu tes and t h a t t he mat ter should have been

reported t o the Zulu Government.

It was eventua l ly decided t h a t t he Executive and Administrat ive Committee

which i s r e f e r r e d t o under Clause 6 of t h e Deed of Donation, s h a l l be

cleared under t h e superv is ion of t h e South African Council of Churches.

This Committee w i l l c o n s i s t of f i v e p a s t o r s and f i v e l a y members. The f i v e

pas tors were agreed upon. Five l a y members w i l l be nominated by Londa

Shembe, and f i v e by Amos Shembe, f i v e by the South African Council of

Churches, and through a screening process the f i v e l a y members w i l l be

e l e c t e d from these. When e l ec t ed , t h e mentioned Committee w i l l meet on

14 August 1978 a t College Road Court House, Pietermari tzburg i n order t o

comply with Clause 8 of the Deed of Donation. This Committee had t o

e s t a b l i s h whether Shembe 11 recommended a successor. I f so, then such

a person s h a l l be e l e c t e d a s successor. I f he suggested a few names,

an e l e c t i o n has t o take place. I f no t , then they w i l l e l e c t i n any case

a new head a f t e r a discussion has taken p lace among t h e members. A simple

major i ty of vo tes of the members s h a l l be s u f f i c e . When a draw takes p lace

they have t o revote. I f t he re i s a second drawn vote Bishop Makoena,

of the South African Council of Churches, s h a l l have the deciding vote .

Voting s h a l l take p lace by s e c r e t b a l l o t . The Executive and Advisory

Committee and t h e leader of t h e de lega t ion from t h e South Afr ican Council

of Churches s h a l l r epor t back t o the Supreme Court on 29 August 1978 o r a

sooner date i f so decided. This agreement was signed on the 8 th August

1978.

THE COURT CASE

When t h e leadersh ip controversy served on 7 August 1978 before the Supreme

Court, M r J u s t i c e James, Judge Pres ident f o r Natal , r e fe r r ed t o the Deed

of Donation which l a i d down c e r t a i n condi t ions i n regard t o the appoint=

ment of a t r u s t e e . The agreement which was accepted by Shembe 11 i s ,

according t o the Judge, binding when a new t i t u l a r head i s appointed.

The Deed of Donation requi red of Shembe 11 t h a t an Executive and Advisory

Conunittee be appointed which was t o have cons is ted of f i v e pas to r s and

f i v e l a y members of t h e Church. According t o the appl icant no such

executive and advisory committee was ever appointed. The condi t ions

l a i d down by the Executive and Advisory Committee i n connection with the

appointment of a successor from among the pas to r s of t he Church of

Nazareth a r e important. Judge James s a i d i t has now t o be worked ou t

how The Executive and Advisory Committee could be e l e c t e d so t h a t they

can do t h e i r duty. This is t h e f i r s t t a sk before the e l e c t i o n of a

successor. Although the re i s an enormous number of a l l e g a t i o n s and

counter a l l e g a t i o n s i n the d a i l y papers, says t h e Judge, t h e r e a l i s sue

i s how t o g e t a proper committee. H e s t a t e d t h a t it i s no t t h e t a sk of

the Court t o l i s t e n t o everything t h a t happened and then t o decide about

a T i t u l a r Head; t h a t n e a r l y a l l evidence i s a c t u a l l y i r r e l e v a n t ; t h a t

a Church Committee and n o t t h e Court should so lve t h i s matter. This i s

why t h e members of the South Afr ican Council of Churches have been c a l l e d

i n as they a r e considered t o be above t h i s d i s p u t e and n e u t r a l and they

can be ins t rumental i n a s s i s t i n g i n planning t o appoint an execut ive

committee "without any k i n d of chea t ing o r un fa i rnes s on e i t h e r side."

The Judge added t h a t it i s iot f o r him t o decide how t h e meeting will be

cal led. It w i l l however be f a i r i f t h e South Afr ican Council of Churches

call a l l pas to r s of t h e Church of Nazareth and t h a t they choose f i v e

members from among themselves. The Judge maintained t h a t i t w i l l n o t

be so easy t o e l e c t t h e l a y members; t h a t t h i s i s no t a matter of t h e

Court o r t h e Advocates and requested the p a r t i e s t o "consider t h i s mat te r

very, very c l o s e l y and very deeply ..... persuade your two c l i e n t s t o

look a t t h i s t h ing from t h e po in t of view of t h e i n t e r e s t s of t h e Church

and not t h e i r own i n t e r e s t s . " The Judge considered i t h i s t a s k on ly t o

provide the machinery s o t h a t the Church can decide. The Judge concluded

tha t everyone i s "hor r i f i ed" t h a t t h i s "grea t Church" i s being dest royed

'andl 'split i n t o f ac t ions" i t can be destroyed un le s s you rise above it

and don't s t op f i g h t i n g each o t h e r and reminding t h a t you a r e ch i ld ren

of God and have been brought t oge the r through t h e prophet Shembe.

You've got t o r i s e above it. you've got t o move". The Court adjourned

on 8 August 1978.

I n August 1978 The Voice s t a t e d t h a t e i g h t people were k i l l e d i n f a c t i o n

f i g h t i n g including a min i s t e r . A meeting a t which t h e two f a c t i o n s were

expected t o be presen t , t oge the r wi th the two a t to rneys represen t ing them,

could a t t a i n nothing a s t h e Londa group d i d n o t t u r n up. They maintained

they feared f o r t h e i r l i v e s .

Bishop I.P.B. Mokoena, P re s iden t of the Independent Churches Associa t ion,

and of the Division f o r Church Development of t h e South Afr ican Council of

Churches (SACC) and t h e Rev. J. Palos m e t wi th a t t o rneys and counc i l s of

both t h e l eade r s engaged i n t h e d i spu te over t h e l eade r sh ip of t h e Nazareth

Bapt i s t Church and explained t h e i r "deep f e l t longing" t h a t r e c o n c i l i a t i o n

should take p lace i n t h i s Church. A t t h e meeting Rev. J. Palos read

Psalm 133 and spoke on C h r i s t i a n love and r e c o n c i l i a t i o n . A b ro the r

of Londa maintained t h a t h i s f a t h e r never spoke about Londa's p o s i t i o n . -

he always s a i d t h a t he saw them l i k e anyone else i n t h e Church. This

brother of Londa maintained t h a t h i s uncle was an ordained m i n i s t e r . a- .~-.-,-. -.-.. 2 -,-:- - . - A : - . --3 :- ---- A - > A L - A : A L.. ....ll-2 ,-,i=i=

SENIOR WIFE OF SHEMBE 11's TESTIMONY

The s e n i o r wife of Shembe I1 r e f e r r e d t o a s Mama Makaoba, whom he married

i n 1940, r e c a l l e d how Shembe I1 was c a l l e d t o t h e T i t u l a r Headship, t h ree

months " a f t e r t h e death of the prophet" when the lawyers and c h i e f s gathered

and s t a t e d t h a t Johannes Gal i lee Shembe was t o be successor. She then

e x t o l s t h e case f o r Londa born i n 1922 s t a t i n g t h a t i n about 1947, Shembe I1

s a i d t h a t " there was God's work i n t h i s boy. That h i s name was Londa Nkosi

Ncika Nyako and t h e meaning of t h i s expression means "God s a v e your p i l l a r " .

Shembe I1 a l s o sa id t o her : "hide t h i s c h i l d a s men were evi l " .

From 1943 Mama Makaoba was i n charge of t h e a f f a i r s of t h e Shembe family.

She had t o take ca re of t h e family and was a l s o involved i n the a f f a i r s

of t h e Church. She a l s o suggests "I be l i eve t h a t t he many wives and ch i ld ren

of J . G . Shembe was t o c r e a t e a s many steers so t h a t t he b u l l could be w e l l

hidden. H e wanted a son of h i s t o have a h e a r t l i k e him t o lead t h e Church

and t h e r e was never any doubt t h a t i t was Londa. He s a i d t h a t he did not

want h i s enemies t o l o c a t e t h e one who was t h e leader." She maintained

i n a personal interview a t her house with the author t h a t t h e r eve la t ion

about Londa was very c a r e f u l l y en t rus ted t o her . She s t a t e d t h a t "those

i n the Church who have 'eyes' could see t h a t Londa was intended t o be

the successor . 11

LONDA AND THE ZULU TRADITION

Londa s t a t e d a t t h e above-mentioned meeting of 14 August 1978 t h a t h i s

f a t h e r c a l l e d him from Umlazi f o r a second time i n August 1973 and s a i d

he must take c a r e of Ekuphakameni. After t h i s he s t a t e s "I kneeled down

and k issed h i s feet". The Committee a l s o met on 21 and 22 August 1978.

Bishop Mokoena was accused by Londa Shembe of being biased. The meeting

was adjourned t o 29 August 1978 but nothing s u b s t a n t i a l developed from

t h e interview of the South African Council of Churches.

I n h i s reac t ion t o the app l i ca t ion of Michael Mtshali on behalf of Amos

Shembe, Londa h igh l igh t s the f a c t t h a t t he iBandla 1amaNazaretha follows

Zulu t r a d i t i o n s and customs "very closely". What he adds i s of importance

i n the context namely "I submit t h a t i f one app l i e s the s tandards of

European Churches t o the s i t u a t i o n of t h e Church one would v i o l a t e both

/ the s p i r i t and t h e teachings of t he Prophet I s i a h Shembe." H e

i emphasises t h a t the Church a l s o follows t h e teachings o f t h e Old Testament,

Furthermore, t h a t i t i s "an art icle of f a i t h of t he Church t h a t t h e s p i r i t

of the Prophet en t e red Johannes Galilee Shembe. The late J . G . Shembe had ! 1 therefore the same s t a t u s and a u t h o r i t y i n t h e Church t h a t t h e Prophet L

/ (whom a l l members be l i eve was t h e messenger of God) had". This impl ies i

t h a t "all he would do would be binding t o t h e Church as t h e th ings which

the Prophet had done." Reference i s made elsewhere t o Hymn 221 w r i t t e n

i n January 1938 on t h e holy mountain Nhlangakazi, by J . G . Shembe i n which

he expresses h i s deep dependence from h i s f a t h e r a s w e l l as the devotion

to him by the Zulu nat ion. H i s f a t h e r ' s death i s descr ibed i n t h e s p i r i t

of t h a t of Jesus Chr i s t . H i s f a t h e r however i s the one with whom he has

intimate contac t i n t he supernatural world.

Shembe I1 suf fe red h i s f i r s t r e a l set-back i n regard t o h i s h e a l t h on

18 October 1970 when he had a s t roke dur ing a church se rv i ce a t t h e

Judea Sacred home a t Gingindhlovu. I l l n e s s and death i n t r a d i t i o n a l

Zulu context was never considered t o be n a t u r a l . Londa Shembe suspects

a minis ter , preachers of t h i s church and Amos Kula Shembe,in connection

with Shembe 11's i l l n e s s . These a r e accused of conspiracy t o bewitch

Shembe I1 i n order t o take over t he leadersh ip of t he Church, the motive

being f inanc ia l greed. It i s being held aga ins t Amos Shembe t h a t he

never convincingly denied "according t o Zulu custom", the charges launched

publicly aga ins t him.

Londa l eve l l ed se r ious accusat ions aga ins t Amos Shembe namely of having

mustered a group of preachers and a min i s t e r i n order t o have himself

appointed a s the New T i t u l a r Head of t he Church. He i s a l s o accused of

having launched a campaign aga ins t t h e widows and orphans of the l a t e

Shembe I1 and have them expel led from Church p rope r t i e s . Amos Shembe

is accused of i n s inua t ing t h a t Shembe I1 wrongfully and i l l e g a l l y enriched

himself and h i s family through using t r u s t funds. I n o r d e r t o give

c r e d i b i l i t y t o h i s usurpat ion of the p o s i t i o n of Shembe I1 he "alleged

to the congregation t h a t t he s p i r i t of t h e l a t e Rev. J .G . Shembe has

entered i n t o him and t h a t he can a c t u a l l y see and hear the s p i r i t of my

fa ther and the Prophet Isiah". Amos Shembe a l s o expel led from the church

a l l thosewbopposed h i s candidature a s successor t o Shembe 11. I n f a c t ,

according t o Londa, it i s Amos Shembe who i s not a member of t he Church

a s he was excommunicated by Shembe 11.

Michael Mtshali maintains t h a t t he Church does have a w r i t t e n c o n s t i t u t i o n

which was "adopted by the Rev. J . G . Shembe" i n h i s capac i ty a s T i t u l a r

Head of the Church toge ther with sen ior pas to r s of t he Church and an

advisory and Executive Council of t he Church which was cons t i tu t ed i n

1964. It is , according t o Mtshali a l so wrong t o say t h a t t he Church

has no o t h e r Cons t i tu t ion because, during the 70 years of ex is tence

"ce r t a in r u l e s , usages, customs and t r a d i t i o n s have become entrenched,

some because the Prophet taught them, some because J . G . Shembe taught

o r adopted them."

According t o Londa Shembe it i s t r u e t h a t t he T i t u l a r Head i s i n s o l e

cont ro l of t he Church but t h i s , he maintains, i s sub jec t t o c e r t a i n usages

and customs, f o r example, the Chiefs came f i r s t i n t h i s Church, then the

minis te rs , then the preachers and then the deaconesses. Appointments

a r e a l s o no t made i n wr i t ing with the r e s u l t t h a t i t i s misleading,

according t o Londa Shembe, t o maintain t h a t h i s f a t h e r was approved by

"the Prophet" ( i . e . I s i a h Shembe) a s the re was no w r i t t e n appointment

ever found of my f a t h e r a s T i t u l a r Head of the Church; t h e prophet never

c a l l e d a meeting of the Church members and formally appointed Rev. J . G . Shembe

h i s successor." Ianda contends t h a t because "the Prophet was a Zulu

t r a d i t i o n a l i s t .... t h i s i s j u s t never done among the Zulus. Where i t

has been done the appointee has almost always been murdered". Because

Amos Shembe i s "s lav ish ly a t tached t o western formulations" misconceptions

about the procedure i n e l e c t i n g a successor p reva i l s . The "Prophet",

according t o Londa Shembe, mentioned the name of Shembe I1 t o " a few

t r u s t e d c h i e f s and one European f r i end and confidante , the Hon. D.G. Shepstone."

None ~f the minis te rs and preachers knew beforehand t h a t Shembe I1 would

succeed h i s f a t h e r . Londa adds : 11 This caused q u i t e a succession

s t rugg le which was f i n a l l y resolved when these people whom t h e Prophet

had t r u s t e d came forward and revealed h i s recommendations to t h e Church.

This i s au thent ic Zulu t r ad i t ion . "

Londa Shembe now claims t h a t t h e Rev. J . G . Shembe recommended him i n t h e

same way a s he was recommended by t h e Prophet. H e d id t h i s "symbolically,

p r i v a t e l y t o h i s confidantes and publ ic ly during Church serv ices and

ceremonies. "

Not only does Londa Shembe defend h i s c la im t o succession bu t defend h i s

fa ther aga ins t mispresentat ion such as t h e p r o p e r t i e s h i s f a t h e r had under

h i s control . This, h i s f a t h e r , bought wi th money "personally given t o t h e

, Prophet i n g r a t i t u d e f o r h i s hea l ing powers". The i n t e n t i o n of Shembe I1

was t h a t t h e Administrat ion of the Church a f f a i r s , s p i r i t u a l and temporal,

should be separated and it was f o r t h i s purpose t h a t t h e Cons t i tu t ion (unsigned)

made provis ion f o r f i v e men t o be appointed as Trustees of t h e Church.

The i n t en t ion of Shembe I1 was t h a t t h e T i t u l a r Head "would a c t j o i n t l y

with the Trustee Advisory Council i n t he adminis t ra t ion of t he temporal

a f f a i r s of t h e Church". Such an Advisory and Executive Council d id e x i s t

fo r most of t h e l i f e time of Shembe 11 and the Committee was down t o th ree

members when he died.

Londa Shembe a l s o maintains t h a t Amos Shembe was never ordained as a

minis ter of the Church; t h a t "he is not circumcised and the re fo re not

e l i g i b l e f o r t he min i s t ry of t he Church. He has not partaken of t he

Communion of the Church f o r t he p a s t 40 years." He was debarred from

Inanda by "the Prophet" f o r l i f e . Clause 4 of t he Deed of Trust debars

spec i f i ca l ly those who devia te from the teachings of the Prophet from

sharing i n t h e b e n e f i t s of the Trus t . Amos Shembe i s a l s o accused of

using "sacred" money found i n Egumbini (The Prayer Chamber) a t Ekuphakameni.

Amos Shembe was only readmitted dur ing t h e l a s t years of Shembe 11's min is t ry

a t Inanda " a f t e r more than 25 years of expuls ion f o r h i s e v i l deeds".

He did no t have a house o r room i n the se t t l ement a t Inanda.

Michael Mtshali i s blaned f o r being ignorant of t h e r u l e s and teachings

of "the Prophet". According t o Londa, Amos Shembe was cursed by "the

Prophet" before he died because of immoral a c t s . This has earned Amos

Shembe h i s " th i rd and hated" name namely ChitokwaKhiwayo i . e . he who

destroys what i s being constructed. The " i l l i t e r a t e and supe r s t i t i ous" 11 bel ieve Amos Shembe when he maintains t h a t he s e e s and hears the s p i r i t s

of t h e Prophet and t h e l a t e Johannes G. Shembe'.'. Amos s t a t e s t h a t he

"ate a flower" a l lud ing t o an event when the mother of I s i a h Shembe

a t e a flower and s a i d t h a t t h a t was how t h e s p i r i t of the ances tors

entered i n t o her giving r i s e to t he b i r t h of I s i a h . The same expression

was used by Amos Shembe i n Church t o say t h a t the s p i r i t : of Johannes

Gal i lee Shembe had entered i n t o him and t h a t he was no longer Amos.

Londa Shembe f u r t h e r maintains t h a t Amos Shembe was not voted T i t u l a r

Head unanimously on 24th J u l y 1977 a s h e maintains ( the minutes of t h i s

meeting has been destroyed) but t h a t those who abstained were not mentioned;

n e i t h e r did they mention t h a t people who were not church o f f i c i a l s and

persons who were excommunicated voted; only h i s f r i e n d s were c a l l e d t o

the meeting. It i s s t a t e d t h a t a l l pronounced t h e i r "Amen" on what

happened a t t he meeting but a t t h i s meeting a t Nhlangakazi, t he holy

mountain, Chief Ngoyama Ngcobo only s t a t e d t h a t Shembe i s t h e temporary

head of t h e Church, t h a t he knew the r i g h t f u l head, and t h a t he would

announce h i s name when the t i m e comes. Af t e r t h i s announcement t h e

congregation shouted i n Amos Shembefs presence "Amen". It d id no t r e f e r

t o Amos Shembe a s T i t u l a r Head. In any case, he was appointed on

2 January 1977 a s Regent and i n March 1977 he a l ready assumed the p o s i t i o n

of T i t u l a r Head "including o f f i c i a l robes. H e has s ince t h a t day gone

around the country posing a s the T i t u l a r Head and wearing my l a t e f a t h e r ' s

robes". Londa Shembe, according t o h i s fol lowers , has been "properly"

appointed head of the Church on 9 October 1977.

It i s a l so a l leged t h a t Amos has a l l the documents - even t h e most p r i v a t e

documents which has been l e f t f o r safe-keeping a t Egumbini (Prayer House).

It i s maintained t h a t among the papers a r e papers s t a t i n g who t h e T i t u l a r

Head would be. Amos, i t i s a l leged , t o ld the s is ters of Londa, t h a t he

discovered a "sacred white box" i n which was a "sacred white robe of the

type worn by the T i t u l a r Head, a Bible and a s l i p of paper on which Londafs

name was w r i t t e n . Instead of giving the robe t o Londa, Amos wore it himself".

The spec ia l robe, a symbol of au thor i ty , has a g rea t s ign i f i cance i n the

African context a s i s a l so evident from the independent churches.

In s p i t e of Londafs claims s t rong r eac t ion came e s p e c i a l l y from the women.

They were "heavily armed" on 24 September 1977 when the congregation

assembled a t Inanda t o hear who the T i t u l a r Head w i l l be. Chiefs threatened

bloodshed i f Londa Shembe i s appointed a s i n the case of Chief Ngcobo

i n whose d i s t r i c t Ekuphakameni i s located.

A NEW APPROACH

It was now proposed t h a t a meeting (on the b a s i s of the Court Order) of a l l

Church o f f i c i a l s , c h i e f s , pas to r s and preachers be c a l l e d and t h a t t h e

f

following quest ions be discussed : Z

i) whether Shembe made a r e c o m n d a t i o n ;

t t i i ) i f no t , t o r e f e r t h e mat te r t o t he Chiefs , min i s t e r s ,

preachers and o f f i c i a l s p resen t ;

i i i ) t h a t t he dec is ion of t h i s meeting be made an o rde r of

t he Court o r such a l t e r n a t i v e r e l i e f as t h e Court

may deem f i t .

In an a f f i d a v i t t o the Supreme Court i t was affirmed t h a t "in h i s l i f e

the Rev. J . G . Shembe gave custody of a l l Temples t o the c h i e f s wi th in

whose d i s t r i c t s they l i e and the f i n a l say i n t h e a f f a i r s of t he Church

members wi thin the d i s t r i c t s " . The con t ro l of the Church a t Ekuphakameni

"is vested pr imar i ly i n t he c h i e f s of the Church" who i n rank came f i r s t ,

then the min i s t e r s and then t h e preachers . The a f f i d a v i t of Chief

Lindelihle Mzimela of the Mazimela Tribe, s t a t e s t h a t Amos K. Shembe

. , l i v e d i n enmity with h i s b ro ther who excommunicated him. I n another

a f f i d a v i t handed i n t o the Supreme Court by Chief Simon Hulumeni Gumede

he s t a t e s "I have the s t a t u s of a c h i e f , both according t o the Zulu law

and according t o the r i t e s of the Church of Nazareth". H e recognises

Londa Shembe to be the r i g h t f u l head.

Simon Zungu maintains inter aZia i n h i s a f f i d a v i t t h a t "before t h e

Rev. J . G . Shembe died the Church had en te red i n t o a covenant t h a t t he

Ancestors of the Shembes would be the Ancestors of the Church. A l l

church members consented t c t h i s and c a t t l e were s laughtered i n accordance

with the Zulu t r i b a l custom. According t o these customs t h i s gave the

"Reverend" the s t a t u s of a ch ie f i n t he community. This had a l s o been

the teaching of the l a t e Prophet I s i a h Shembe". Such a s t a t u s i s of

great s ign i f i cance i n the Zulu soc i e ty . Even i n t h e e s t a b l i s h e d churches

minis ters sought spec ia l r e l a t i o n s h i p s with t h e roya l ty . The a f f i d a v i t

emphasises f u r t h e r t h a t a b ro the r , according to Zulu custom, e s p e c i a l l y

i f he has l i ved i n enmity with h i s b ro ther cannot have the custody of

the grave. Such "custody" impl ies contac t with t h e ances tor s p i r i t

( i dZoz i ) of the deceased, who from t h e o the r world bestow b le s s ings on

those with whom he i s i n contac t on e a r t h such as h i s r e l a t i v e s and i f he

was a Church leader , wi th the members of h i s Church.

Another a f f i d a v i t from Chief Bonginkosi Ngcobo makes t h e fo l lowing p o i n t s

namely t h a t Amos Shembe committed a d u l t e r y w i t h i n t h e church premises

at Inanda and was e x p e l l e d from t h e Inanda Community; t h a t he never

r e jo ined t h e community a f t e r he l e f t i t i n 1975; t h a t on ly i n December

1976 was Amos Shembe readmi t ted t o t h e premises a t Inanda ( t h i s i s due

t o t h e t r a d i t i o n a l Zulu custom whereby t h e most s e n i o r member of t h e

head Chie f ' s family t akes charge of t h e deceased c h i e f ' s a f f a i r s u n t i l a

new c h i e f has been i n s t a l l e d ) and t h a t " the Rev. J . G . Shembe had t h e

s t a t u s of a Zulu k ing i n t h e r e l i g i o u s community of t h e Church of Nazareth".

The t ragedy is t h a t b ro the r i s i n c o n f l i c t wi th b ro the r i n t h i s d i s p u t e .

The c h i e f concludes : "In s p i t e of my b r o t h e r ' s i n t im ida t i on , Mzonjani

Ngcobo , people suppor t Londa".

M.B. Mthembu i n h i s a f f i d a v i t main ta ins t h a t Shembe I1 s t a t e d i n 1952

t h a t he had found a son who " i s a v e s s e l i f God c r e a t e d l i k e himself",

"who has been given t he same q u a l i t i e s l i k e himself". H e has supposed

to have repea ted t h i s i n 1956 s i t t i n g wi th d i g n i t a r i e s o f t h e Mtethwa

t r i b e from Empangeni. Ic 1959, be fo re they approached Nhlangakazi he

s a i d about Londa "I give t o you Plhlal isuthi" ( t h o s e who a r e never hungry)

- 3 c o l l e c t i v e name of a l l ab l e bodied male members of t he Church given

t o them by t he Prophet I s i a h Shembe. In 1971 Shembe 11 s a i d the Church

must surround h i s son and used t he word ukungunga (surround) . He e x p l a i n s I f t h a t t h i s r e f p r ; t o what a regiment does t o a p o t e n t i a l successor t o

t h e Zuiu king by being cons t an t l y around him so t h a t e v i l doe r s may do

tlio no ham" . When Londa Shembe a t t ended t h e annual meeting a t Nhlangakazi

a s p e c i a l t e n t i n a s e c t i o n of t he mountain, reserved f o r Church o f f i c i a l s ,

was pu t up f o r r.im which was considered t o be "a s i g n a l honour which

was extended t o no o t h e r p a l e member of tl ie Shembe family except t h e

Rev. J . G . Shembe himself" . This was never done f o r Amos Shembe on

t he few occas ions he ca red t o a t t e n d .

K.S. Gumede, who played a key r o l e dur ing t he m i n i s t r y of Shembe 11,

a l l e g e s i n an a f f i d a v i t t h a t Amos Shembe has " i n i t i a t e d " a schism "around

1938, 1940" a g a i n s t h i s b r o t h e r and formed h i s own "c l andes t i ne church"

a t h i s home, Ngqayizivele, which "collapsed". I s i a h Shembe took i n t e r e s t

i n a son of I saack S t ane l a Shembe, h i s e l d e s t son, c a l l e d Benjamin but

he d ied under "mysterious" c i rcumstances . I s i a h Shembe s t a t e d t h a t

he was poisoned. F i n a l l y Shembe I1 was i n s t a l l e d a s h i s successor

fo l lowing "Zulu customs and t r a d i t i o n s and f o r t h e conserva t ion o f t h i s

the Church was es tab l i shed , ' . He f u r t h e r i n d i c a t e s t h a t a l though Shembe I1

was a m i n i s t e r of r e l i g i o n , he had over one hundred wives. Th i s i s t h e

p r i v i l ege o f a Zulu Chief . Gumede a l s o r e f e r s t o t h e f a c t t h a t Zulu

t r a d i t i o n a l lows t h e naming o f a succe s so r t o a k i n g on ly a f t e r h i s dea th .

This i s mainly as a r e s u l t o f t h e f e a r t h a t h i s cho ice w i l l be e l imina ted .

Gumede says t h a t Shembe I1 had t h e s t and ing of a k i n g i n t h e Church and t h a t

he was c a l l e d " ~ i n g " (Nkosi) i n t h e Church ( a s is a l s o e v i d e n t i n t h e hymns)

and was so c a l l e d even by a l l t h e c h i e f s i n Zululand whether members o r n o t

members of t he iBandla 1anaNazaretha. One o f h i s t i t les i s King o f Kings - Nkosi yamakhosi.

SURVEY OF THE COURT CASES

Londa Shembe r e a c t e d a g a i n s t the d e c i s i o n of t h e Committee which had t o f i n a l i s e

the ques t ion of t h e T i t u l a r Head under t h e chairmanship of Bishop I.P.B. Mokoena

of the South Af r i c an Council of Churches. There was an Agreement of S e t t l e =

ment reached on 8 J u l y 1978. The meeting based on t h i s Agreement of S e t t l e -

ment took p l ace , Ainos Shembe was e l e c t e d T i t u l a r Head b u t Londa Shembe

contested t h e v a l i d i t y of t h e procedure fol lowed. This l e d t o a f u r t h e r

court case . I n h i s judgment M r J u s t i c e J. Th i r i on d e l i v e r e d on 30th August

1979 he gave a survey of t he l i t i g a t i o n s up t o t h a t moment which w i l l be

b r i e f l y repea ted .

The Judge r e f e r r e d t o the founding of t h i s Church, t h e execu t ion of a

National Peed of Trus t and Donation by I s a a c Shembe on 30th J u l y 1935

whereby he c r e a t e d t h e Church o f Nazareth E c c l e s i a s t i c a l Endowment T r u s t

i n terms of which he docated t o t h e T rus t c e r t a i n p r o p e r t i e s r e g i s t e r e d

i n the nane of Isi .ah Shembe. A s T i t u l a r Head, Johannes Galilee Shembe

was appointed t h e Trus tee . The T rus t Deed p rov ides inter aZia :

(a) i n c l au se 4 the reof t h a t t he p rope r ty of t h e T rus t s h a l l be held by t he T rus t ee a s an e c c l e s i a s t i c a l c h a r i t y f o r t he b e n e f i t of the Church;

(b) i n c l au se 6 the reof t h a t t h e T rus t s h a l l appo in t an Executive Advisory Committee c o n s i s t i n g of t e n members; f i v e of whom s h a l l be p a s t o r s of t h e Church and f i v e s h a l l be l a y members;

(c) i n c l au se 7 the reof t h a t t h e T i t u l a r Head s h a l l con t inue i n o f f i c e dur ing h i s l i f e time so long as he con t inues t o observe and fo l l ow t h e t e n e t s of t h e Church, a l though he may be removed from o f f i c e on t h e happening o f c e r t a i n con t i ngenc i e s ;

(d) i n c l au se 8 the reof a s fo l lows : "Upon t h e o f f i c e o f t h e T i t u l a r Head o f t h e Church o f Nazareth becoming vacant t h e Executive Advisory Committee s h a l l e l e c t a successor from

amongst the p a s t o r s of t h e Church of Nazareth and such successor may be one of t he members of t he Executive and Advisory Committee, provided t h a t i f t h e o f f i c e should be rendered vacant by dea th and t h e deceased T i t u l a r Head s h a l l have recommended c e r t a i n names from whom h i s successor i s t o be appointed then t h e choice of a successor s h a l l be confined t o t h e choice of one of those persons whose names have been recommended by the deceased T i t u l a r Head".

The p o s i t i o n of T i t u l a r Head of t h e Church and Trustee of t h e Trus t was occupied

by Shembe I1 u n t i l h i s death on t h e 19th December 1976. The d i s p u t e about

t h e successor l e d i n cou r t t o t h e g ran t ing on 20th October 1977, on t h e

app l i ca t i on of Michael Mtshali , an ordained Minis ter of t h e Church, a

rule nis i c a l l i n g on a l l i n t e r e s t e d p a r t i e s t o show cause on a s t a t e d d a t e

why the Rev. AmDs Kula Shembe should not be appointed as Trus tee of t h e Trust .

On the r e t u r n day the confirmation of rule nis i was opposed by Londa Shembe.

The quest ion was whether Shembe 11 recommended anyone. The importance of

ob ta in ing a dec i s ion on t h i s i s sue l a y with t he Executive and Advisory

Committee i n terms of Clause 8.

@n t h e 8 t h Ju ly 1978 the p a r t i e s came toge ther and an agreement was reached

i n regard t o t h e procedures t o be followed f o r a se t t l ement . This agreement

was signed by M. Mtshal i , Londa Shembe and AmDs Shembe. I n terms of t he

agreement of se t t l ement the Executive and Advisory Committee was t o hold

an enquiry t o determine whether the l a t e Shembe I1 recommended any person

as successor o r persons from whoni a successor could be chosen.

A s f a r a s t he Executive and Advisory Committee i s concerned, t h e r e a r e

e i t h e r no menbers l e f t o r t h a t t h e committee i s so deple ted t h a t i t cannot

funct ion. Consequently t he p a r t i e s agreed t o e l e c t under t h e superv i s ion

of the South Afr ican Council of Churches an Executive and Advisory Committee.

Such a Committee were t o be comprised of t en members f i v e of whom had t o

be pas to r s and f i v e l a y members. The p a r t i e s and Amxis Shembe agreed t o

t he f i v e p a s t o r s t o be appointed. The f i v e l a y members had t o be s e l ec t ed

a s fol lows : A de lega t ion from the South Afr ican Council of Churches had

t o screen ten l a y members, f i v e of whom were t o be nominated by t h e p resen t

app l ican t and f i v e of whom were t o be nominated by Amos Shembe. The

de lega t ion had t o s e l e c t f i v e from t h e t en nominated.

The funct ions and d u t i e s of t he Committee were defined i n c l ause 7 of t h e

Agreement which reads a s fo l lows "once e l e c t e d a s s e t ou t above t h e Executive

and Advisory Committee s h a l l meet a t College Road Court House, P i e t e r m a r i t ~ b u r ~

a t 9.00 a.m. on Monday, 14 August 1978, i n o r d e r t o perform t h e func t ions

l a i d down i n c l ause 8 of t he Deed of Donation . . . . " This Committee had

to hold an enquiry, according t o t h e sub-sections of t h e mentioned c lause ,

(a) whether Shembe I1 d id recommend any person t o succeed him as

T i t u l a r Head;

(b) i f so the Committee s h a l l e l e c t a new head;

(c) i f no t , the Committee s h a l l e l e c t a new head from anyone they p lease ;

(d) before vo t ing open d iscuss ion s h a l l take p lace among members on

the i s sues involved ;

(e) the vo te s h a l l be c a r r i e d on any i s s u e by simple major i ty of t he

vo te r s of members of the Committee. There were f u r t h e r s t i p u l a t i o n s

such a s t h a t t he vo t ing s h a l l take p lace by b a l l o t ; t h a t i n t h e

event of a second drawn vote Bishop MDkoena s h a l l have the deciding

vote on the s a i d i s sue . Mokoena ac ted a s cha iman.

The Committee cofiducted an enquiry. Af t e r hear ing evidence the Committee

decided by a major i ty t h a t Shembe I1 had not recommended anyone f o r the

appointnent as T i t u l a r Head. It e l e c t e d by a major i ty vo te Amos Shembe

as the T l t u l a r Head of the Church.

Londa Shembe was d i s s a t i s f i e d with the procedure and the a t to rney f o r t he

a p p l i c a ~ t put forward th ree grounds f o r s e t t i n g a s ide the dec is ion of the

Committee namely :

(a) the proceedings were i r r e g u l a r i n t h a t vo t ing , i n s t e a d of a secret

b a l l o t on the i s s u e s decided by the Committee took p lace , a s

required by c lause 7(hj of the Agreement of Set t lement ;

(b) t h a t the dec is ion of t he major i ty was no t based on a cons idera t ion

of the evidence adduced a t the enquiry but was motivated by

extraneous cons idera t ions and inf luenced by t h e i r own biased

and preconceived views of the i s s u e s ;

(c) witnesses who were ab le t o and who des i r ed to give evidence

germane t o the i s sues were prevented from g iv ing evidence.

I n defence of t h e procedure i t was s t a t e d t h a t t h e Committee would n o t

have voted d i f f e r e n t l y ; t h a t t he app l i can t agreed t o the e l e c t i o n of

the members of t h e Committee and t h a t i t i s n o t open t o him t o complain

and t h a t t h e Committee der ived i t s a u t h o r i t y from the Agreement of Set t lement

which emphasised t h a t the t a s k of t h e Committee i s t o set t le an i s s u e a p a r t

from t h e i n t e r e s t s of t he immediate p a r t i e s .

The a t to rney f o r t he app l i can t pointed o u t t h a t t he enquiry was no t a

j u d i c i a l enquiry; t h a t t he Committee was comprised of persons who had no

l e g a l t r a i n i n g ; t h a t t he committee had t o learn a l l evidence - and t h e r e

were a number of a f f i d a v i t s of those who supported Londa Shembe - i n o rde r

t o g e t a f a i r and j u s t decis ion.

M r J u s t i c e Thi r ion s t a t e d "In my judgment t h e Cormnittee d id no t f a i r l y

enquire i n t o the ques t ion which they had been c a l l e d upon t o i n v e s t i g a t e

and d id no t decide on the evidence f a i r l y , honest ly and i m p a r t i a l l y and

t h e i r f a i l u r e to do so c o n s t i t u t e s an i r r e g u l a r i t y r e s u l t i n g i n the enquiry

not having been made a f a i r one". The Judge f u r t h e r s t a t e d t h a t during

the Court case each group cheered t h e i r l eade r i n Court when they thought

he scored a po in t o r they broke i n t o s inging. A s e c r e t b a l l o t i s the

bes t i n such circumstances even f o r those who a re on the Committee.

Not t o have had a s e c r e t b a l l o t was i r r e g u l a r and he adds : "I a m

not s a t i s f i e d t h a t t he i r r e g u l a r i t i e s have n o t r e s u l t e d i n pre jud ice t o

the appl icant" . M r J u s t i c e Thir ion then f i n a l l y decided : "In my judgment

t he re fo re the Review succeeds on both grounds. The dec is ion of t he

Executive and Advisory Committee appointed i n ternls of t he Agreement

of Sett lement en te red i n t o between appl ican t and Michael Mtshali and

Amos Kula Shembe dated 8 August 1978 i s s e t as ide ." To t h i s Judge

J. Kriek s t a t e d : I I I agree ."

Another Court case is pending which i s s e t f o r May 1982 with

Londa Shembe con te s t ing the T i t u l a r Headship.

TEE OPINION OF THE FOLLOWERS ON THE LEADERSHIP ISSUE

A sample cons i s t i ng of f o r t y respondents was approached i n order t o d e t e c t

what the general opinion amng t h e fol lowers was i n connection wi th the

i s sue a t s take . It i s indeed a d i f f i c u l t t a s k t o approach ind iv idua l

members i n regard to t h i s i s s u e as I s i a h Shembe and Johannes Galilee Shembe

are considered to be o w i s c i e n t and omnipresent and they would consider

the r e p l i e s as a be t r aya l of t h e church. The Zulu f i e l d worker M r H. Yeni

made exce l l en t con tac t with the fol lowers a s w e l l as wi th some of t h e

leaders. The author had a l s o interviews no t only wi th t h e l e a d e r s and

followers but a l s o wi th the sen io r wife of t he l a t e Johannes Ga l i l ee Shembe

a t her home i n Eshowe where he r husband died on 19 December 1976.

It i s necessary to go i n t o t h e background of t he respondents themselves

as t h i s w i l l i n d i c a t e what type of people f i n d a s p i r i t u a l home i n the

church and what i n£ luence t h e i r dec is ions .

'The respondents were predominantly male members (namely 92,3%) a s women

do not play a r o l e i n t he admin i s t r a t ive a spec t s of the Church. When

matters of l eadersh ip a r e being discussed women and any new member of

the church (both male and female) a r e u sua l ly asked t o l eave the Church

o r congregation. Although women have a r o l e t o p lay i n the s p i r i t u a l

l i f e of the Church, they have no r o l e i n the upper s t r u c t u r e of t he

Church. 'The s o c i a l s t r u c t u r e of the Church i s based on t h a t of the

t r ad i t i ona l Zulu system.

The head of the Church takes the p o s i t i o n of a Chief. He i s r e f e r r e d to

as "Nkosi'l ("Chief") and not "Umfundisi" ("Minister"). H e i s a l s o

referred t o a s "Baba" (Father) . Women have to be c a r e f u l not t o s tand

with t h e i r backs t o the house of Shembe - t h i s i s d i s r e s p e c t f u l . The

chief wife of J . G . Shembe had a grea t in f luence over h i s hundred wives

a s she had t o keep the r e l a t i o n s h i p between them on a sound foot ing .

She has a l s o been h i s conf idante i n many r e spec t s , although, when mat te rs

of The Church of the Nazar i tes were a t s t ake , h i s min i s t e r s , the c h i e f s

and e lde r s were those he had t o consu l t . A s i n o t h e r churches women

have, however, t h e i r own sepa ra t e a c t i v i t i e s among themselves.

MEMBERS SINCE BIRTH

The respondents who were members since birth are 46,15%. Seldom does a

member of The Church of the Nazarites join another church. There is a

strong sense of belonging in this church which has been built up round the

person of Isiah Shembe. Even during the time of Johannes Galilee Shembe

this closely knit community received its strength from the vital force

which emanated from Isiah Shembe beyond the grave and from Johannes Galilee

Shembe whom they knew and whose services they attended. Their omnipresence

and omniscience are not doubted by any one of the members. This explains

the strong control they have over their lives. One could speak in a sense

of a corporate personality. The father and son were the sum and substance

of this community and each of the two factions at the moment lay claim upon

their presence. They exercise an overwhelming influence on their followers.

This is also evident from the hymns in the Izihlabelelo ZamaNazaretha.

Not less than 38,46% of the respondents came over from other churches to

The Church of the Nazarites and here the Churches mentioned are the Congre=

gational Church, Anglican Church and the Seventh Day Adventist Church as

well as from the Zionist Churches. The Kwamoya Church to which reference

is made is an established independent church. From all the various churches

whether established or Zionist, members have flocked to the Church of the

Nazarites which they find attractive. Those of the established churches

find the liturgy and the emphasis on the indigenous expression of the

message attractive while those from the Zionist Churches find the emphasis

on the Zulu structure coupled with the Zulu world view and view of life

of special significance.

This aspect also attracts those from the traditional Zulu religion to

The Church of the Nazarites. Not less than 15,38% of these respondents

formerly adhered to the Zulu traditional religion. Thus members of

this Church which came over to this Church hailed from all three main - streams of religious life among the Zulu namely the established churches,

the independent churches and the traditional Zulu religion. As far as

these churches are concerned 40% were established church members and

60% were from the independent churches. Those from the established

churches are 15,38% of all the respondents, and from the independent

churches these are 23,07%.

Those who came ove r t o The Church of t h e Nazar i tes had an average age

of 20 years - they a r e t hus mature persons who could decide f o r themselves.

EDUCATION

It i s genera l ly accepted t h a t t h e educa t iona l s tandard of t h e members of

the independent churches i s low. Of t h e respondents 23,072 had no educat ion

whatsoever. The average educa t iona l s tandard of a l l t he respondents is

Std 4,3. Only 7,692 had S td 9, 7,692 S td 8 , 15,38% S td 7 and 15,382

Std 6. Although the l e v e l of educat ion i s h igher than i t used t o be,

the average l e v e l o f educat ion remains low.

In t he leadersh ip s t r u g g l e Londa Shembe, who has a law degree, emphasizes

tha t t he members of t h e Church of t h e Nazar i tes a r e s u s c e p t i b l e t o i n f luences

espec ia l ly from an e l d e r l y person because of a l a r g e number being i l l i t e r a t e

and semi - l i t e r a t e . Such people a r e u sua l ly t r a d i t i o n a l i s t s and i n t h e i r

view the younger man has l e s s a u t h o r i t y (even i f he i s t h e son of t h e l eade r )

than the bro ther of Johannes G a l i l e e Shembe. One would expect t h a t

t r a d i t i o n a l i s t s w i l l support t h e son of t he l eade r but i n t h i s ca se t h e

son makes a youthful impression and i s thus considered t o be l i m i t e d i n

au thor i ty . Authori ty i s of v i t a l importance because i t i s r e l a t e d t o

v i t a l force which enables a person t o provide through i t f o r t h e needs of

h i s fol lowers. A person with no a u t h o r i t y w i l l have l i t t l e in f luence with

the ances tors , t h e amadlozi.

The f a c t t h a t the educa t iona l l e v e l i s low p l ays a s i g n i f i c a n t r o l e i n t h i s

leadership s t rugg le . Such a l e v e l of education has very l i t t l e apprec i a t i on

for un ive r s i t y educat ion. It i s not educat ion t h a t counts bu t v i t a l

force which g ives a u t h o r i t y . Such a u t h o r i t y i s thus not obta ined i n

the f i r s t i n s t ance by educat ion but through t h e s tanding a person has

within t he t r a d i t i o n a l superna tura l con tex t . Furthermore, Londa i s no t

an organiza t iona l man but a mystic, one who gives t h e impression t h a t he

is more a t home with ph i losophica l concepts and theo log ica l i s s u e s , than

with organiza t iona l a spec t s .

PRECEDENCE I N LEADERSHIP

On the ques t ion whether they approach I s i a h Shembe, t h e founder of t h e

Church, a l l t h e respondents were c l e a r t h a t they approached him wi th

g r e a t reverence. I n t h e prayers , which are i n p o e t i c form they always

s tar t by "thanking God f o r having given I s i a h Shembe t o t h e world." They

then pu t t h e i r r eques t s and ask God " to convey h i s b l e s s i n g s t o u s through

I s i a h Shembe and then ask the la t ter t o convey our thanks t o ~ o d . " A t

t he moment "all" approach him wi th t h e reques t t o so lve "the problems

c u r r e n t l y r i pp ing t h e Church apart" . The reques t i s made t o him by some

"to f o r g i v e and g ive d i r e c t i o n t o both h i s son and grandson t o come toge the r

and accep t j o i n t l eade r sh ip of t he Church. "

An ex Z i o n i s t male of 48 with no educat ion and who i s a l ready 15 years

a member of The Church of the Nazar i tes mainta ins t h a t he prays t o Shembe

"because he i s the only l i n k between me and my God. I have never seen

God. I the re fo re cannot c o m u n i c a t e wi th him d i r e c t l y . I s i a h Shembe

was the only person, a p a r t from those mentioned i n t h e s c r i p t u r e s , who

a s a human being had d i r e c t communication with God ....... he was a man

of God more than anyone of us . . . . . . . I ask I s i a h Shembe t o speak t o t h e

Almighty on my beha l f . For a long t i m e I had t h e impression t h a t I s i a h

Shembe claimed t o be God Himself .... I was t o l d my b e l i e f was completely

unfounded1'. The Shembeites mainta in t h a t God has become one f o r them who

has "hands and f e e t " and compassion with them i n t h e i r needs. This does

not imply t h a t I s i a h Shembe i s God but t h a t through h i s mediatorship

God has become a r e a l i t y t o them. I n t he Zulu concept of mediatorship

the person who a c t s on behalf of another person, i s a c t u a l l y i n a sense

p a r t of t h a t person. This i s why Shembeites do no t use t he name of Jesus

i n t h e i r p rayers a s Jesus does not f a l l wi th in the genealogy of t h e Zulu

people. Only through Shembe, who f a l l s wi th in t he genealogy of t he Zulu

people can Unkulunkulu (Umvelingqangi) be approached. Jesus C h r i s t has

promised the Holy S p i r i t when He l eaves and t h i s Holy S p i r i t (Umoya

Oyingcwele) has taken over a s f a r as The Church of the Nazar i tes i s 3

concerned. This i s a c t u a l l y s t a t e d i n Isl. 58 :

Lowo owasethembisa wona That which you promised us

Ngo Jesu Krestu Inkosi Through Je sus C h r i s t t h e iNkosi

Wathi auyikusishiya sodwa You s a i d : You w i l l no t l eave us a lone

Uyosithumela umoya oyingcwele You w i l l send us t h e Holy S p i r i t

I s i a h Shembe was born of the S p i r i t and was considered t o be S p i r i t . He

has usurped the p l a c e of Jesus C h r i s t a s i s ev iden t i n Isl . 84 with i t s

3 Amens :

1. Yinhle Kangaka Inkos i yethu So good i s o u r iNkosi (Lord)

Muhle kangaka u Simakade So good i s Simakade (God)

Kantike y i n h l e kangaka A f t e r a l l j u s t a s good

Inkos i ya Manazaretha The iNkosi (Lord) of t h e Nazar i tes

I s i ah Shembe is p r a i s e d i n t h i s hymn wi th t h e p r a i s e name of a Zulu king

such a s " fa ther leopard", he i s a l s o r e f e r r e d t o a s "our Chr i s t f f

6. Umuhle wenangwe yethu Beau t i fu l a r e you o u r leopard

Umuhle wena Krestu wethu Beau t i fu l a r e you our C h r i s t

Sukuma wena Nkosi yethu Stand up ou r iNkosi (Lord)

Uchoboze i z i t h a ze thu That you may c rush ou r enemies

In Isl. 77L a l l a t t e n t i o n is d i r e c t e d t o I s i a h Shembe who was s e n t by God.

Kodwa mina ngedwa

Ngivela kude;

Ngi thu~lyelwe iNkosi

Phakathi kwenu

But I a lone

I come from a f a r

I am s e n t by t h e iNkosi (Lord)

i n your midst

I s i ah Shembefs superna tura l c a l l has given him superna tura l power.

In Is l . 216 t he n a t i o n a l i s t Shembe who wishes t o r e s t o r e t he Zulu na t i on

to i t s previous g lo ry , i s t he iNkosi of t h e Zulus; i n Isl. 217 they a r e

p ic tured a s s t and ing before t h e i r i h i o s i and i n Isl. 218 t he Zulu n a t i o n

i s addressed s t a t i n g i n ve r se 1 :

Yizani wema Zulu

Siyiboni le Inkos i yethu

Sivela t h i n a kwelizayo

S iy ibon i le Inkos i yethu

Come ye Zulus

we have seen ou r iNkosi

we come from the world t h a t i s t o come

we have seen our iNkosi

I s i ah Shembe has he re h i s own superna tura l coming i n mind. The supe r sc r ip t i on

t o t h i s hymn simply s t a t e s "Gospel," w r i t t e n a few months before h i s death ,

most probably t he second l a s t he wrote. I n t he s u p e r s c r i p t i o n t o Is l . 220,

which he has supposedly w r i t t e n a f t e r h i s r e s u r r e c t i o n , he i s r e f e r r e d t o 3 a s "nkosi I s i a h Shembe". I n Is l . 221 aga in Johannes G a l i l e e Shembe

r e f e r s t o h i s f a t h e r a s t h e "Nkosi Yamakhosi" ( t h e k ing of k ings ) . It

i s s t a t e d he re t h a t t h e s t a r s wept and t h e e a r t h quaked when iNkosi l e f t 2 ( I s l . 221 ) . Johannes G a l i l e e Shembe cont inuously r e f e r s t o h i s f a t h e r

6 as iNkosi. ( c f . I s l . 228 ) Johannes Ga l i l e e now asks i n Is l . 229

2

t t t h a t I s i a h Shembe, who i s now i n the world beyond, en l igh ten our

g rea t grandparentstt .

Bakhumbule wena Nko s i

Abokhokho bethu :

Badlu l i le emhlabeni

Bese bumnyameni

Remember them you Nkosi

our g rea t grandparents :

they have passed through the e a r t h

being i n darkness

Johannes Gal i lee Shembe, t h e un ive r s i ty educated leader , cannot accept

t h a t t h e ancestors a r e per se sanc t i f i ed . Preaching t o them i s s t i l l

a p o s s i b i l i t y .

I s i a h Shembe i s Libera tor and h i s movement i s described i n a number of

c i r c l e s as a Zulu l i b e r a t i o n movement. Salvat ion i s a c t u a l l y from the

Zulu na t ion as i s seen i n I s l . 45 1 - 4

Zizwe l a l a n i uZulu ezwakale Nations go ye t o s l eep t h a t t he Zulu na t ion may be audib le

Phambi KO Msindisi before the Umsindinsi (Redeerer, L ibera tor )

In Is l . 46 I s i a h Shembe repea ts i n each of the f i v e verses :

Phakama Af r i c a

Funa uMsindisi

Rise up Afr ica

Seek the Libera tor

This i s addressed t o a l l t he sons and daughters, men and women who are

i n s lavery. Here uMsindisi (Liberator) has p o l i t i c a l connotation.

The name of Jesus does s i g n i f i c a n t l y not appear i n I s l . 73 1-3

where I s i a h Shembe r e f e r s t o the Father , the Holy S p i r i t and the I t holy congregation" of the Nazari t e s . 1 . NgiyakholwakuYise I be l ieve i n the Almighty

Onamandla onke, Father

Kumdali weZulu nomhlaba Creator of heaven and ea r th

Nakumoya oyiNgcwele and i n the Holy S p i r i t

2. Nakuyo iRamente eyiNgcwele And i n the holy congregation

Yam Nazaretha of the Nazar i tes

Nobudlelwana babaNgcwele And i n the fe l lowship

Base Nazaretha a t Nazareth

3. Idwala e l i h l e The b e a u t i f u l rock

Lama Nazaretha of t he Nazar i t es

Owazikhethela lona uJehova which you s e l e c t e d f o r yourse l f Jehova

Ngokul i thanda kwakhe because of h i s lov ing it

I s i ah Shembe i s he re i n t i m a t e l y a s soc i a t ed wi th God, t h e Fa ther and t h e Holy

S p i r i t . I s i a h Shembe is t h e "rockff dressed up wi th Nazarethness (V.4) . 3 In Isl. 168 I s i a h Shembe s t a t e s :

Ulidwala l e t h u yena H e i s our rock

Siyophumula ngaye we s h a l l rest by him

Undu mthunzi wokuphephela H e i s t h e shadow of refuge

Umkhululi wethu our L ibe ra to r

10 In t he hymn ( I s l . 221 ) composed by Johannes G a l i l e e Shembe on h i s f a t h e r ,

a f t e r h i s pass ing away, he s t a t e s :

Kuphakama ulidwala Kuphakama (The holy c i t y ) you a r e a rock

U m i ngunaphakade; you s tand forever ;

Amathambo ay ingcwele t h e holy bones

Uwalondoloze wena you look a f t e r them

I s i a h Shembe was considered t o be t h e one s en t t o be t h e l i b e r a t o r

of the na t i ons . He s t a r t e d h i s Church i n 1911 and t h e fol lowing year

the Blacks formed the South African Native National Congress (renamed

the African National Congress i n 1925) t o work f o r Afr ican un i ty , extension

of p o l i t i c a l r i g h t s and socio-economic advancement. Natal i t s e l f experienced

in 1906 the Zulu Rebell ion. The Ethiopian movement i n t h e Independent

Churches which was a c t i v e i n t h e Black l i b e r a t i o n s t r u g g l e made many Blacks

p o l i t i c a l l y conscious dur ing t he l a s t q u a r t e r of t he previous cen tury and

the f i r s t decade of t h i s century. I s i a h Shembe was no t ob l iv ious of t h i s - on the con t ra ry , he was conscious of the Zulu s t r u g g l e who a s a na t i on

suffered s eve re ly a t t he hands of the white man i n var ious wars.

1 I s i ah Shembe has a r r i v e d a s a l i b e r a t o r : ( c f . I s l . 139 )

1 . Uf i k i l e olandelwa izizwe He has a r r i v e d who i s followed by n a t i o n s

Uf ik i l e simzwile He has a r r i ved , w e have heard him

Babazani wemadoda, Spread ( t h e news) ye men

Babazani zizwe nonke Spread ( t h e news) a l l ye n a t i o n s

5. Kwathiwa asiyukushiwa sisodwa It was sa id we s h a l l no t be l e f t a lone

U f i k i l e simzwile He has come we have heard him

Mlandeleni bantu nonke Follow him a l l ye people

Uf i k i l e simzwile H e has a r r ived , we have heard him

I n I s i a h Shembe t h e kingship (iNkosi) type of l eadersh ip i s combined with

the o f f i c e of t he d iv ine r (isangoma). H e pe r son i f i e s both. The k ing o r

chief i s no t only the r u l e r , t he lawgiver, but a l s o an important l i n k with

the superna tura l world. The d iv ine r sees the fu tu re which he helps t o

c r e a t e , warding o f f a l l t he negat ive forces . Without t h e d iv iner t h e

whole l i f e w i l l be a continuous t h r e a t without any hope. The d i v i n e r ' s

profess ion i s no t by choice but a d iv ine r i s e l ec t ed by a s p i r i t while the

o f f i c e of kingship among the Zulus is i n s t i t u t i o n a l . The be l i e f i n the

e t e r n a l l y a c t i v e l i f e p r i n c i p l e o r v i t a l fo rce f i n d s i t s e f f e c t i v e expression

i n the d iv iner . No p o l i t i c a l power i s a t tached t o t h i s o f f i c e . The

d iv ine r i s a medical person whose medicine i s r a t h e r magical than pharmaceutical.

The d iv ine r s a r e the only people who r egu la r ly pray t o the s p i r i t s and s i n g

hyrris t o them. Helshe receives power from them. The prophet ic o f f i c e

of the d iv ine r i s s t imulated and in sp i r ed by the i n s p i r i n g agency of t h e

ancestors . The continuous t h r e a t of the community by v i s i b l e , negat ive

and des t ruc t ive forces of l i f e makes t h e funct ion of t he d iv ine r an e s s e n t i a l

one whose main task i s t o heal t he s i ck . I s i a h Shembe descr ibes himself 2

a s the d iv ine r i n Isl . 157 .

Inyanga ngubani

Mkhululi wami !

Xguwe ukuphe 1 a

Wemkhuiuli wami

who i s the d iv ine r

my RedeemerILiberator

It i s you alone

oh! my ~ e d e e m e r l ~ i b e r a t o r

The pos i t i on of mediatorship i s thus indispensable i n the Zulu r e l ig ious -

s o c i a l system. The Zulu KingIChief i s the highest symbol of what i s

powerful, of nwninous power. H e i s a l s o the cen t r e of the r i t u a l l i f e

of the Zulus a s i s evident i n the Umkhosi Omkhulu ( F i r s t f r u i t ceremonies).

The King i s the symbol of the un i ty of the na t ion and a s such he i s sacred.

The King i s of cosmic s ign i f i cance as he i s t h e author of a l l z e s t f u l

l i v ing . On him they depended f o r r a i n and f e r t i l i t y , the only channel

through which t h e h ighes t Zulu a u t h o r i t i e s i n t he supernatural world could

be approached. H e i s t h e e a r t h l y r ep resen ta t ive of d iv ine powers. The

des t iny of the country i s equated with h i s l i f e a s he i s i n touch with the

royal ancestors . The i n s t i t u t i o n of t h e Nhlangakazi (Mountain) r i t u a l s

must be seen i n the context, not only of Moses and Sina i but a l s o wi th in

tha t of t he royal ancestors . During the Great Umkhosi t he graveyard of

the royal ancestors a r e v i s i t e d and they a r e honoured. For I s i a h Shembe

a l so the royal ances tors had metaphysical power with t h e r e s u l t t h a t he

continuously makes reference t o Sendzangakhona, Shaka and Dingaan, t he

famous Zulu royal ancestors , i n h i s hymns.

In I s i a h Shembe t h e r e s t o r a t i o n of "uzu2uness" i s once again r e a l i s e d

i n i t s f u l l glory. Af te r r e f e r r i n g t o t h e fountain of Sendzangakhona

from which they drank long ago, he r e f e r s t o the contemporary pos i t ion 6 of the Zulus a s seen i n the l i g h t of Ekuphakameni (c f . Is l . 216 ) .

Wathi u Tshaka Kasishayeki nakho Shaka sa id we a r e unbeatable

Kuwena Mhlangana nino Dingana! You a l s o Mhlangana and Dingaan!

Kanti namhla sekunjalo and y e t today i t i s so

Kuwena Mh1angar.a nino Dingaan t o you Mhlangana and Dingaan

We Nkosi oh! Nkosi

I s i a h Sherube has put himself a s l i b e r a t o r within the context of t he Zulu

king o r ch ie f s ; a s the one who would r e s to re the Zulu nation. I n the

hymns he r e fe r r ed to himself wi th var ious p ra i se names i n the same way

as the Zulu kings were r e fe r r ed to . He became t h e c e n t r e of h i s church

"tribe". Since t h e time of Cetshwayo t h e Zulu kings were i n s t a l l e d with

Chris t ian r i t e s but Zulu t r a d i t i o n a l customs were maintained. A p a r a l l e l

between I s i a h Shembe's pos i t ion and t h a t of the Zulu king o r Paramount

Chief could be drawn on many poin ts a s i s evident above. I n t h i s respect

the Church of the Nazarites, a s Londa Shembe ind ica te s , follow t r a d i t i o n a l

l i n e s .

Apart from the pos i t ion he took a s a Zulu leader and the ontological

s i m i l a r i t y between t h a t of the Zulu King and I s i a h Shembe various o the r

p a r a l l e l s could be drawn. The k ing ' s r e g a l i a were kept sacred - so i s t h a t

of I s i ah Shembe. The well-being of the community was r e l a t e d t o these

a r t i c l e s which a r e shown during r i t u a l occasions while those of I s i a h

Shembe a r e taken during the January procession t o Nhlangakazi. The king 's

r ega l i a a r e kept i n the royal house (indZukuZu) while t h a t of Shembe i s

kept i n h i s house a t Ekuphakameni. The s t a f f of I s i a h Shembe which he

layed on the p a t i e n t s a s d id Johannes Ga l i l ee Shembe, i s a prototype of

t h e ch ie f ' s sacred s t i c k (induku yomuzi) which, together with h i s sacred

assegai plays a r o l e i n the f i r s t - f r u i t ceremonies. I s i a h Shembe's holy

vesse l s remind of the king's sacred vesse l . I s i a h Shembe has i n addi t ion

t o t h i s h i s own holy s c r i p t u r e s ( apa r t from t h e Bible) t o which he r e f e r s 3 i n Isl. 34 a s w e l l a s a holy drum. This i s why Londa Shembe r e a c t s

aga ins t Amos Shernbe using the c lo th ing , church garb ("robes") and symbols

of Shembe 11.

I n Ekuphakameni a symbol which reminds of t h e inkhata o r sacred c o i l ,

t h e most sacred a r t i c l e of t he t r a d i t i o n a l Zulu na t ion , symbolizing

t r i b a l unity, i s seen. It i s believed t h a t t h e c i r c u l a r form "has t h e

power of c o l l e c t i n g up a l l t r a i t o r s and d i sa f fec t ed sub jec t s and joining

them together with the rest of the na t ion i n a f f ec t ion f o r the king."

( c f . E. Krige, The s o c i a l system of the Zulus, London, Longmans, 1950,

p. 243). The inkhata used by Shaka was kept u n t i l Cetshwayo's re ign

when i t was burned by the B r i t i s h i n 1879. I s i a h Shembe has added symbols

a t Ekuphakameni with a Sc r ip tu ra l background such a s t h e keyl ike s t r u c t u r e

along t h e path, the holy stones i n "Paradisi", the s t a r s , the c lo th ing

and so on.

I s i a h Shembe and Johannes Gal i lee Shembe a r e buried i n the c e n t r e of

Ekuphakameni, a t Pa rad i s i . It i s explained t h a t t h e Zulu Chief, was

buried i n the c a t t l e k r a a l which t o the Zulu i s a holy place a s t h e

royal ancestors l i v e a t t h e royal k r a a l . Special s a c r i f i c e s were made

i n order t o bring the s p i r i t s of four Shembe ancestors from Ntabazwe near

Harrismith t o Ekuphakameni from where I s i a h Shembe o r i g i n a l l y came.

(Stated i n an interview by Londa Shembe on 5/11/1980). The Shembes,

who i s a l a rge family a s polygamy has been prac t i sed , a r e bur ied wi th in

the prec inc ts of the church. There a r e four b u r i a l a reas i n Ekuphakameni

name1y:i) a t the s t a r near the s t o r e , here a l l members of t he Church

a r e buried, male and female; i i ) the place where I s i a h Shembe and

Johannes Gal i lee Shembe a r e buried; i i i ) then, near the "bell",

bu r i a l ground i s reserved fo r members of the Shembe family and a few honoured

members of the church but not a l l min is te rs - only those s p e c i a l l y r e l a t e d

t o I s i a h and Johannes Gal i lee Shembe; i v ) and the o the r b u r i a l ground

on the r i g h t hand s i d e as one e n t e r s from Durban, i s f o r members of t he

Shembe family who died v io len t ly . The reason i s t h a t i f a person has

died v io len t ly such a person is not t o be buried with the family. I f

t h i s custom i s not observed, o the r members of the family w i l l d i e i n

the same way. Amos Shembe's son was stabbed t o death and he was buried

outs ide the b u r i a l p lace of the Shembes.

Not only did an ove r t Zuluization of the B ib l i ca l r e l i g i o n take place with

emphasis on the exodus of the Jews from t h e land of bondage, but a l so

a covert Zuluization where the emphasis i s on r i t u a l prohibi t ions. Through

the observance of the r i t u a l prohib i t ions the r i g h t r e l a t ionsh ip with the

ancestors is maintained. I s i a h Shembe has re-established the s igni f icance

of these r i t u a l prohib i t ions and made the Sabbath the very bas i s f o r the re-

establishment of the Zulu na t ion a s a nat ion, the very bas i s of Zulu 11 salvation" o r l i be ra t ion . That he reverted t o the Saturday (Sabbath)

as God's holy day is not due t o Seventh Day Adventist influence. It i s

of ten mentioned i n the IzihZabeZeZo t h a t Jehova and Shembe res tored the

observance of the Sabbath t o the Zulu nat ion and the world. The Sabbath

is the very key to l i b e r a t i o n a s Moses emphasised i n the Ten Commandments.

(cf . Isl . 212%

iSabatha l ingu khiye

Avulwe amasango

The Sabbath is the key

the gates may be opened

19 The "keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Math, 16 ) have become i n Shembe's

exegesis and theology one s ing le key which opens the ga tes of heaven and

of which he i s the hol.der even a f t e r death. A s such he i s the representat ive,

not of Jesus Chr i s t , but of Jehova who has given the Sabbath t o h i s people.

The core cf the o ld Testament, the v a s t s ign i f i can t p a r t of Scr ip ture i s

for I s i ah Shembe the Sabbath law. In t h i s regard he i s not the repre=

senta t ive of Jesus Chris t but of Jehova. Like a r e f r a i n he repeats i n

Isl. 98 Isabutha namhtu Nkos-i ( " i t i s Sabbath today Nkosi") and adds i n 5

verse 4 S?sebus-den; bakho ("We a r e now before thy face".) (c f . I z l . 167 ; 5 6

193 ; 198 ) . These l a s t words run l i k e a r e f r a i n through the whole 1

hymnal. In I z l . 188 Shembe s t a t e s , adding 3 Arnens :

Simenyiwe th ina sonke We have been invi ted a l l

Simenywa yiNkosi ye Sabatha, We have been invi ted by the iNkosi of the Sabbath,

Size sisindiswe t h a t we may be saved

Ngaleli Sabatha through t h i s Sabbath

Amen Amen Amen! Amen Amen Amen!

This is t h e day of r e s t , of power, t h e holy day i n extremity . I n f a c t

Shernbe himself i s a p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n of t h i s day : (cf . Isl. 187 ') . Imini enh le The beaut i f u l day,

Sabatha nguwe t h e Sabbath a r e you

Phumula n a t h i wena Rest you wi th u s

Siyakucenga baba wethu sonke we beg you f a t h e r of us a l l

Ngena n a t h i wena e n t e r you wi th us

The l a s t 23 hymns were composed by Johannes G a l i l e e Shembe. Most of these

concen t ra te on h i s f a t h e r and on h i s dependence upon t h e guidance and

a s s i s t a n c e from h i s g r e a t f a t h e r . A few of these hymns came t o him

while on t he Mountain Nhlangakazi i n January 1938. Johannes Ga l i l ee

Shembe r e l a t e s i n t e r aZia t h e fol lowing i n one of these hymns ( I s l . 220)

which i s only sung on memorial day i . e . t h e day when I s i a h Shembe died.

1 . Yaze f i k a leyomini A t l a s t came t h i s day

Enkulu eyesabekayo t h e g r e a t , which i s being fea red

Zafika izithunywa The angels a r r i v e d

Zilande u Thumekile t o f e t c h Thumekile ( t h e one s e n t )

Hamba kah le , hamba kah le , go wel l , go wel l ,

Baba wami oyiNgcwele my holy f a t h e r

2. IJmhlaba wazamazarna, The world was shaking

Amazulu abikelana; t h e Zulus repor ted t o one another

I zu lu laduma lona, the heaven thundered

Iz inkanyezi z a l i l a t h e s t a r s wept

Kwesabeka, kwesabeka, It was f r i gh t en ing , i t was f r i g h t e n i n g

Iyemuka Inkos i ! t he iNkosi departed

7 . Vus' omunye e n d l i n i yami Create another i n my house

Ahole' abantu bakho t o l ead your people

Umnike i n h l i z i y o Give me the h e a r t

Efana nayo eyakho which i s l i k e yours

Umphathe umgcobe You touch him and you ano in t him

Nga mafutha omusa wi th f a t of b l e s s i n g

Here Johannes Ga l i l ee Shembe expresses h i s deep f e l t dependence upon h i s

f a t h e r ' s presence whose depar tu re was a cosmic event . But i n t y p i c a l

Zulu th ink ing I s i a h Shembe w i l l l i v e on i n h i s son. I n t he Zulu mind,

a person who has a son(s ) never d i e s bu t con t inues t o l i v e on i n h i s son(s ) .

This is a l s o expressed i n Isl . 220.

8. Inyama yami i k a t h e l e ; My f l e s h is t i r e d ;

I z o l a l a thunen i it is going t o l i e i n t h e grave

Umoga wami uzovuka my s p i r i t w i l l rise

Wembath' inyama e n t s h a and be c lo thed i n new f l e s h

Kwaphakade bengi zelwe From o l d I was born

Nanini ngiya kubakhona fo r eve r I w i l l be t h e r e

Enquiring about t h i s type o f success ion t he members of t he Church maintained

t h a t " the o l d Shembe had always dec la red t h a t al though t h e o l d f l e s h d i e

one day, t h e essence of Shembe remains i n t h e new f l e s h . I n o t h e r words,

he would ' c a s t h i s mantle ' of power upon h i s son". Vi lakaz i states t h a t

the Zulu understands t h i s "kind of talk", t o them " the son is t h e ex tens ion

of t h e f a t h e r ' s pe rsona l i ty" , an i d e a which i s expressed i n Zulu as

follows : lJkv.zata ukt{zeluZa amathambo. This £0- an important b a s i s

f o r t he argument of Londa Shembe t h a t he i s t h e l e g a l and t r a d i t i o n a l

successor t o h i s f a t h e r , Shembe 11.

In I s i h l a b e l e l o 226 v e r s e 2 , J.G. Shembe r e f e r s t o t h e "love of c h i l d l i k e =

ness" towards h i s deceased f a t h e r namely

Mangiphiwe Nkosi narni

Loluthando lobuntwana;

Ngizofela khona lapha,

Esandleni sakho

L e t m e a l s o be given, Nkosi

t h i s love of c h i l d l i k e n e s s ;

I s h a l l d i e h e r e

i n your hand

Nobody has expressed h i s / h e r dependence upon I s i a h Shembe more c l e a r l y than

h i s son who succeeded him i n The Church of the Nazar i t es . A few years

a f t e r he was very s i c k and "re turned from t h e grave" (as he pu t s i t ) a

hyua came t o him which s t a t e s : (161. 2 3 z 4 )

Wathuma Inceku yakhe He s e n t h i s s e rvan t a )

I z a nabaNgcwele who came wi th t he s a i n t s b)

Ngayo ingubo yokuphila wi th t h e b lanke t of l i f e

Bangembes a mina they c lo thed me

a ) Refers t o I s i a h Shembe; b) Refers t o t he ances to r s .

1 . Vilakaz i , A; I son to Lamanazaretha: The Church of t h e Nazar i t es ,

Har t ford , Connecticut M.A. Diss, May 1954 .

Johannes Gal i lee Shembe did not have t h e imposing personal i ty of h i s

f a t h e r who was a s t rong , determined leader . He never the less had the

respect of t he Church a s a whole although, when he s t a r t e d h i s min is t ry

a s the leader of the Church he experienced opposi t ion from a small f ac t ion .

Neither did he have the support of h i s bro ther Amos who now leads the l a r g e s t

s ec t ion of the Church and whose leadership i s disputed by Londa Shembe.

The respondents were unanimous i n regard t o the pos i t ion of I s i a h Shembe

i n t h e i r l i v e s and i n typ ica l Zulu perspect ive he was approached through

Johannes Gal i lee , h i s son. A Std V I I male, 25 years of age, s t a t e s

"Born and brought up a t Ekuphakameni, the name of I s i a h Shembe comes up

na tu ra l i n my prayers". A 60 year old male, with no education "speaks

t o I s i a h Shembe through h i s son Gal i lee because the former was chosen by

Umvelingqangi t o l i a i s e between us on e a r t h and himself i n heaven." H e

adds "when God reca l l ed I s i a h back t o heaven, God ins t ruc ted the l a t t e r .

t o appoint a successor who would convey our messages t o H i m through

I s i ah . I have always found t h a t my prayers a r e quickly r ep l i ed t o and

I a t t r i b u t e t h i s t o the f a c t t h a t it i s because the Almighty gets my

requests from someone who knows me personally; who has stayed with us on

earth". The emphasis of I s i a h Shembe on God r a t h e r than on Jesus is

due t o the f a c t t h a t Jesus cannot take the place of mediatorship f o r a

Zulu a s He does not f a l l wi thin the context of the genealogy of the

Zulu nat ion. This was the case a l s o i n the Zulu t r a d i t i o n a l r e l i g i o n - only a Zulu ancestor s p i r i t can be of any help t o h i s Zulu progeny.

Furthermore, some of the members of The Church of the Nazar i tes agree

with a 33 year o l d male member who explained h i s praying t o I s i a h Shembe

a s follows : "Look you Chr is t ians bel ieve i n Jesus Chr is t and you

mention him i n your prayers. You do not know whether he ex i s t ed o r not .

We bel ieve i n Shembe because we a r e pos i t ive tha t he l i ved and because

he demonstrated t o t h i s world t h a t he possessed c e r t a i n s a i n t l y powers

w e do not f ind i n ordinary mortals. He had d i r e c t contac t with the

Creator". This i s how I s i a h Shembe saw himself a s i s evident i n h i s

hymns. An ex-Zionist member sees I s i a h Shembe a s h i s "8p i r i tua l leader",

even though he has passed on t o the supernatural world, and he maintains

t h a t he asked him t o convey h i s wishes t o the Creator.

A former Anglican Church male member with Std I11 who joined The Church

of the Nazar i tes when he was 18 and is now a member f o r 40 years , has

'8LZ 'd ' I961 'ssaxd ~a~sxanyun pxojxg 6e37x3v qanog uy saaqdoxd nauea L.~.3*a 'xaliipuns (1

,,*m~q uodn auapuadap axe am y3nl xno xoj,, paaeas auapuodsa~ aug .yxom 8u~pur~ UJ Xl~sea spaamns aq 'aqmaq~

qE?SI 30 020qd E OSIB ST q3TqM Ul (200~ -H) ~~adDZV,~DluDZ OZaZaqVZyzZI

aqa pue aqmaqs qe~s~ 30 oaoqd aqa so sa~atqo aue~xodml 14311s qa~fi

*auauXoldma 303 %ulyool ano sao% aq uatp Xllep oaoqd s,qe~s~ pue (yooa

d~) ,,olnmv,, aqa sa~xxe3 aq aeqa sa~mpe XI pas qa~m aim padoldmaun

plo xeaX ZE v *33a33a 3~8m xo ~~aau8m uleaxaa e seq srmojlun xlaqa

oauo y3ys sxaqmam aqa q3g~ aquaqg qe~s~ 30 oaoqd aqa uaa3 I

1,'SPueq Sl'4

qalm sleaq oqm pup aaaj uo sylem oq~ po3 e noX pamoqs aqnraqs qels~,, aeqa

uouuas e u~ paaeas a3uo aqmaqs aal~le3 sauueqor *aur~:, aqa ae a~doad

Xuem uo uo:ssaxdurl aeax8 e apm (xau~~~p e 30 le3ldXa) uslaau2m ~euosxad

pue a3ue1nsse3las slq pue (ofi~ms~uoqo) xaas e 30 sa~a~~enb s,aquraqg qe~s~

'1861 X~nr qaoz uo saalaquays puesnoqa Lax03 30 aauasaxd

aqa UT aules E paxeI3ap uaaq seq aquraqs qels~ aeqa xapuom ou snya sl 31

,,*aqmaqg qelsI ul %upa?laq asx~j anoqalm pa3 ul aha;Iaq aou 'axojaxaq~ 'ue3

am aeqa abaJlaq am Xem asapom e UI *aqmaqS qe~s~ sem ssau~eax5 srq 30

loqmXs s~qa axaarro3 xno UI *%uraq %U?A~T e q8no~qa ssau~eax8 s~y

puo 3TasmTq smoqs po3 'X~leqsXqd po3 aas a,ue3 noX asneDag *ssau~eaxFi

sy~ oa ssauaIm ~e3~sXqd e paxaaunoaua Fiu~aeq anoqalm pa3 u? aaaylaq

aouue3 noA *qaaxezeN 30 q~xnq3 aqa u~ saaqdoxd q%noxqa sn oa pauxnaax SJ

a~doad aqa pue po3 uaamaaq uo~ae3~unnmro3 30 uuoj ams SJ~J, *s~aqdoxd

q8noxqa aldoad slq oa yeads oa pasn pw saurTa lear~q~q , . UI *auo ale aTqTq

aqa oa 9~1~x0338 snsar pue pq *pw oa sasanbax xlaqa Xa~uo~ oa snsar

yso snsar 30 sxamolloj,, : uo~a3auuo3 srqa U? mnlaua% snsuasuo3 aq~

passaxdxa IIA pas qalm alm p~o xeaX 6~ v *sauapuodsax aya Xq oa paxxajax

X~snonuIauo3 som aqmaqs qelsI asu?e%e xaAo xoaeJpam so snsar 30 uo~asanb aqL

*sqauom aaxqa xaaje paTeaq sem aq pm

mlq 30 axo3 yooa sxamo~lo3 S,~VTSI axaH *mTq uo spueq sly p?el qo~s~

axaw ~uamyeqdnya oa my yooa - Xa~eXox nlnz aqa oa paaelax aq oa

zaplo uy UCXUO~OS %UJX oa sxaaqsnep s~q 30 auo aae8 aqmaqs qorsI - uomolo~

8ug oa laqaolq 3leq e 'laqaej syH *plrq~ e se sxoaaop aaea~d oa 08

oa peq ay noq saaepl aH Oaqmaqs qo~s~ 30 Sla~od 8ur~oaq aqa ul qa-yag

asax8 poq 'slaqao Xuem os so 'os~o aH *,,aqmaqS qa?sI q%nozya aao~~unmmo:,

oa aq8noa sen I aalaqmaqs o se MON *asyxq3 snsar 30 amu aga ur pm oa s~aXozd h aao~runmmo:, oa aq8noa sen I uorasrlq3 . . o sv,, aeqa saaoas

aq uaqn aaraqmaqg e Su~aq puo ueTasyq3 e 8uyaq uaanaaq uo~a~ur~srp . . Jaap e saym aH *qDInw aga 30 dlyspoay s,aqmaqg qeIsI paadame Klln3

I s i a h Shembe, the founder, t akes precedence i n t h i s Church - he i s t h e

sum and substance of the Church as t h e Chief used t o be of h i s people.

THE POSITION OF JOHANNES GALILEE SHEMBE

Although Johannes Gal i lee Shembe always f e l t a deep dependence from h i s

f a t h e r , t he fol lowers held him a l s o i n h igh regard but genera l ly spoken

not t o t he same ex ten t as I s i a h Shembe t h e founder, enjoyed.

Some of the respondents maintained t h a t they held Shembe I1 i n regard i n

s p i t e of the f a c t t h a t he d id no t have the same p o s i t i o n a s h i s f a t h e r

which i s expressed by one member a s follows ; "In H i m I see I s i a h Shembe.

I s i a h Shembe had so many ch i ld ren t h a t it i s doubtful i f he personal ly

knew how many. Out of the l o t , Gal i lee was chosen t o lead t h e Church

a s successor t o the founder. Unlike h i s f a t h e r before h im, ,Gal i lee

got h i s s t r e n g t h from the former a s he himself d id not have d i r e c t communi=

ca t ion with God. He communicated with God through h i s fa ther . "

Johannes Gal i lee Shembe i s t h e i r d i r e c t mediator t o I s i a h Shembe, who

in te rcedes d i r e c t l y with Umvelingqangi (God) f o r them. It has o f t e n

been s a i d t h a t God is " fa r away" i n African thinking. This i s , however,

not e x i s t e n t i a l l y t he case - only formally. It i s not easy t o approach

a Chief - one has t o go v i a var ious o t h e r persons and the same i s the

case with God. One cannot go d i r e c t l y to H i m . This approach i s evident

i n t he a t t i t u d e s t o I s i a h Shembe, who being the founder of the Church,

and who has passed away, i s neares t to God and Johannes Gal i lee Shembe

i s the mediator through whom I s i a h Shembe could be approached. This

was a l s o the case with the King o r Paramount Chief a t na t iona l f e s t i v a l s

such a s t he Great Umkhosi ( F i r s t f r u i t ceremonies) when he approached

the Amakhosi ( roya l ances tors ) and they approached Urnvelingqangi f o r

t he well-being of the Zulu na t ion .

There a re those who approach Unkulunkulu (God) through Johannes Gal i lee

Shembe a s they do i t through I s i a h Shembe. A 25 year o ld male -with

Std V I I s t a t e s " . . . . i t i s p a r t of the teachings of the Church t h a t

w e ask Ga l i l ee Shembe t o make represen ta t ions on our behalf t o Unkulunkulu.

With us i t i s a grievous s i n t o speak t o God." He wishes t o explain t h a t

one has t o put ones wishes through a mediator t o God - o r cannot speak

d i r e c t l y t o Him.

Johannes Galilee Shembe knew e a r l y i n h i s l i f e t h a t he w i l l be t h e successor

t o h i s f a t h e r . One of t he respondents who went t o Adam's College where

Johannes Ga l i l ee Shembe had j u s t l e f t where he was a teacher a f t e r he was

graduated a t For t Hare, s t a t e s t h a t it was known t h a t Ga l i l ee was I s i a h

Shembe's h e i r so t h a t "when t h e o l d Shembe died and he took over, i t was

smooth because everyone including the Zulu Royal Kraal knew long before

t h a t he was successor. " A few of t h e respondents agreed with t h e 32year

o l d S td I X male t h a t "one cannot mention I s i a h without mentioning Gal i lee

and vice-versa." H e has been a member of The Church of the Nazar i tes s ince

b i r t h . A 45 year o ld male with Std 111 and who came 18 years ago over

from t h e Seventh Day Adventist Church expressed t h e convict ion of most

members of The Church of the Nazar i tes when he says "I was taught no t

t o mention anyone e l s e i n my prayers except I s i ah . Even Gal i lee mentioned

I s i a h i n a l l h i s prayers . I s i a h was the founder of the Church and God

spoke to Ga l i l ee through I s i a h . Gal i l ee spoke t o Cod through I s i a h .

I s i a h i s t he re fo re t h e l ink." One can see how Jesus Chr i s t has been

re lega ted i n t o t he background and I s i a h Shembe accepted a s the Zulu mediator.

Another vers ion of t h e mediatorship i s s u e i n t h i s church i s given by a 68

year o l d i l l i t e r a t e who was born i n t o t h i s Church and who does no t pray

to Johannes Gal i lee Shembe. He s t a t e s "I was born i n ~ s i a h ' s t i m e .

I pray i n t he name of I s i a h and God. My ch i ld ren who were born i n Gal i l ee ' s

time i n the name of Gal i l ee , I s i a h and God. This depends e n t i r e l y under

whose re ign one was born." The problem w i l l a r i s e l a t e r when a number

of l eade r s have passed away. It i s c l e a r t h a t I s i a h Shembe w i l l always

be the uppermost mediator, and Johannes Gal i lee Shembe w i l l be under h i s

f a t h e r , t he only pos i t i on allowed i n a p a t e r n a l i s t i c s i t u a t i o n . Now t h a t

1sia.h Shembe has been declared a s a i n t h i s paramount p o s i t i o n i n the Church

has been accepted not only e x i s t e n t i a l l y but a l s o formally and thus cons t i=

t u t i ona l ly .

I s i a h Shembe's precedence i s based on him being the founder of the Church.

He i s considered t o be the g r e a t e s t l eader of the Church he founded, i n

f a c t , " I s iah Shembe, being the founder of t he Church was n a t u r a l l y t he

g rea t e s t . " This i s the general f e e l i n g among the fol lowers . Johannes

Gal i lee Shembe is honoured because he had been appointed by h i s f a t h e r .

A few however, maintained " I s iah and Gali lee" a r e equal ly grea t . I s i a h ' s

greatness "stems from the f a c t t h a t he s t a r t e d the Church from s c r a t c h

and b u i l t it up t o a po in t where it acquired world wide recognit ion" while

Gal i l ee "continued the good work s t a r t e d by h i s f a t h e r and introduced a

l o t of reforms i n t o t h e Church" and t h a t " the number o f i t s fo l lowers

doubled and t h e Church's bus iness i n t e r e s t 6 expanded tremendously i n

h i s time. Even t h e number of educated fo l lowers increased." Galilee

is a l s o lauded f o r schoo ls and we l f a r e p r o j e c t s he s t a r t e d and t h e a s s i s t a n c e

he gave t o t hose who could n o t a f f o r d t o pay f o r t h e i r educat ion .

A s founder and f a t h e r and f i r s t among h i s o t h e r successors "all f u t u r e

l e a d e r s w i l l owe t h e i r s t r e n g t h t o I s i a h Shembel' as h e i s "na tu r a l l y t h e

g r e a t e s t leader ." Being t h e f i r s t i n t h e l i n e a g e of t h i s Church g ives

him s p e c i a l powers a s t h e King o r Paramount Chief was t h e f i r s t and source

of a l l power i n t h e Zulu na t i on . I n s p i t e of a l l t h e reverence J o h a m e s

Galilee rece ived dur ing h i s l i f e - t ime , he himself was con t inuous ly conscious

o f h i s dependence on h i s f a t h e r and t h e p o s i t i o n he he ld i n t he Church

he founded. G a l i l e e was considered by some t o be "an o rd ina ry man who,

l i k e anyone o f us" - says a former member o f t h e Cong rega t i ona l i s t Church

wi th S td V I I who ha s been 15 yea r s i n t h e Church o f t h e Naza r i t e s - "did n o t have d i r e c t c o m u n i c a t i o n w i t h God. For t h i s h e r e l i e d on h i s

f a t he r . "

INTERPRETATION OF JOlIANNES GALILEE SHEMBE's DEATH

I1 Johannes G a l i l e e un l i ke us o rd ina ry people knew long before h i s hour came

how and when he would die", according t o a respondent . Another expressed

doubts about Shembe I1 and s t a t e d t h a t " the b e s t person t o a s k i s t h e

Rev. A.K. Shembe." Some considered G a l i l e e t o be an o rd ina ry person which

"accounts f o r h i s f a i l u r e t o appoint a successor."

Those who mainta in t h a t A.K. Shembe has been appointed have va r i ous

ve r s i ons of t h i s appointment. They mainta in t h a t Unkulunkulu/Umvelingqangi

d id no t g ive him time t o sumor. a family meeting i n o rde r t o appo in t a

successor . G a l i l e e went dur ing t h e t i m e o f h i s i l l n e s s i n t o h i s i s i g o d l o , 11 i .e . i n i s o l a t i o n f o r many days t o medi ta te a s was customary. " When he

d id not appear a f t e r 15 days t h e e l d e r s of t h e Church inc lud ing Amos K. Shembe

went t o i n v e s t i g a t e . Some people c la im t h a t he was s t i l l a l i v e when he

was found and he only d i ed a f t e r t e l l i n g Amos Shembe t o t ake over

a f t e r h i s dea th . Some d i spu ted t h i s and s ay "he had d ied a number of

days be fore they reached him. The exac t t r u t h w i l l never be known."

The "exact t r u t h " r e f e r s t o t h e manner i n which Johannes Galilee died.

Some mainta in t h a t he con t r ac t ed malaria whi le he pres ided over a

II c l eans ing sess ion" a t t h e Tugela River. Because t h e teaching of t h e

Church precludes t h e members from using conventional medicines, G a l i l e e

did no t fo l low up t h e advice t o contact . a doc to r o r t o go t o a h o s p i t a l

but " i n s i s t e d t h a t ~ o d ' s w i l l should take i t s course." Those who accept

t h i s ve r s ion mainta in t h a t "he d ied a n a t u r a l death."

Others again be l ieved he died an unnatural death , f o r example, t h a t

"muthi" (medicine) was put i n t he microphone by an adversary, when he

spoke t h e last time.

The "unnatural death" s t o r y i s being r e fu t ed by o t h e r s whose spokesman

maintains : "You w i l l r e c a l l t h a t s h o r t l y a f t e r h i s death - when i t

was q u i t e obvious t h a t he had reached t h e end of t h e road - someone was

murdered a t Ekuphakameni and the reason given was t h a t i t was necessary

t h a t he should be accompanied by someone t o h i s grave." There have

been s t o r i e s about such k i l l i n g s when a Chief d i e s so t h a t he be accompanied

by a "servant". Those who hold t h i s type of k i l l i n g took p lace when

Johannes Ga l i l ee Shembe d ied , state t h a t none who were implicated i n t h i s

murder were a r r e s t ed . A 45 y e a r o l d male w i t h Std V I and who was a

former Seventh Day Advent is t and who i s now 18 yea r s a member of The

Church of the Nazar i tes expla ins the k i l l i n g as a d e l i b e r a t e deception

of those who wished t o g ive the death of Johannes Ga l i l ee Shembe, an

unnatural f l avour . He concludes t h a t Shembe "was s i c k f o r a long rime

before he d i ed - j u s t l i k e any ord inary man."

The respondents r e f e r t o t h e s t r u g g l e as a " leadersh ip struggle". The

r e p l i e s depend on who i s being supported. An ex-Congregational Church

male member wi th 30 years of age and Std V I I I and who i s a l ready 15 years

a member of The Church of t he Nazar i tes , i s of the opinion t h a t "Londa

Shembe i s imposing himself on the people while A.K. Shembe i s t h e

peoples choice. " He emphasizes, however, t h a t "both a r e wrong".

But no s o l u t i o n i s being proposed. Another (an i l l i t e r a t e 60 year o l d

wi th no education and who i s a member s i n c e 1956) states "The f i g h t

f o r power i s between two people who were no t chosen by the Almighty. 11

This person be l i eves t h a t one day God " w i l l t e l l I s i a h Shembe t o speak

t o h i s son A . K . Shembe and grandson Londa Shembe and t e l l them t o s top a l l

t h i s f i g h t i n g . . . . . when t h a t time comes I s i a h w i l l t e l l them who should

now take over t h e reigns and it might be n e i t h e r of t h e two of them. That

w i l l be the end of our d i f f i c u l t i e s . "

Others maintain t h a t " t h i s per iod i n the l i f e of t he Church1' was prophesied

by I s i a h Shembe "when he put h i s hands on Ga l i l ee ' s head and nominated

him h i s successor s h o r t l y before h i s death." This comes from a 43 year

o l d woman with Std 111 and a l i f e member of t h e Church.

Various reasons a r e forwarded f o r t h i s s t rugg le namely :

a ) t h a t "it i s a period of t r i a l . We a r e being t r i e d a s t o what

ex ten t our f a i t h goes. We Shembeites a r e a family. We a r e

however, a d i f f e r e n t family. Quite f rankly we a r e not c e r t a i n

a s t o who the head of our church should be a s Ga l i l ee did not

nominate any. We do not know i f t h i s omission was d e l i b e r a t e

o r otherwise. We do hope, however, t h a t sooner o r l a t e r , probably

by some miraculous exerc ise , the matter would resolve i t s e l f .I1

It i s a l s o described a s :

b) "greed f o r power between A . K . Shembe and Londa Shembe . . . . . . i t

i s q u i t e na tu ra l t h a t one cannot follow both" says an ex-Zionist

with Std 111. Others again maintain t h a t the people ac ted too

quickly i n at tempting to appoint a t i t u l a r head a f t e r the death

of Shembe. The Rev. A . K . Shenibe should have acted i n t h i s capac i ty

by v i r t u e of h i s age and the f a c t t h a t he i s the son of the founder

of the Church, and was al ready l i v i n g when i t was founded. H e knows

more about i t than Londa Shembe. I I

Here again the personal contact with I s i a h Shembe as the founder of the

Church over ru les the q u a l i t i e s of t he educated son of Gal i lee Shembe.

The f a c t t h a t A . K . Shembe i s the son of I s i a h Shembe gave him spec ia l

s t a t u s because of the spec ia l l i n k .

There a r e those who do not support e i t h e r of the two. They do not accept

the standpoint of A . K . Shembe t h a t he was appointed by I s i a h Shembe.

When Gal i lee was appointed a s the leader he had al ready proved himself

i n being a successful teacher but n e i t h e r Amos Shembe nor Londa Shembe

were known by t h e Church f o r any succe s se s i n t h e i r careers. The conc lus ion

i s : "One can o n l y assume t h a t whatever t h e y d i d was e i t h e r unsuccess fu l o r

of l i t t l e va lue , o the rw i se i t would be known." It i s mainta ined t h a t even

t h e i r s t aunches t suppo r t e r s d i d n o t know about them b e f o r e t h e f i g h t i n g

s t a r t e d . They are accused o f i n s t i l l i n g h a t r e d among t h e members "which

r e s u l t i n bloodshed and death" and of n o t c a r r y i n g o u t t h e work o f I s i a h .

None o f them are fol lowed, they main ta in , because of s p e c i a l q u a l i t i e s

but merely because they want t o keep t h e groups t oge the r .

Only a few blamed Galilee f o r n o t appo in t i ng a successor . It i s s i g n i f i c a n t

t h a t a t r a d i t i o n a l i s t , 68 y e a r o l d i l l i t e ra te male p u t s t h e blame on

Galilee who d i d n o t emulate h i s f a t h e r i n appo in t ing a successor . H e

states t h a t f i r s t a woman i n H i l l c r e s t which i s about 40 km from Durban,

claimed t h a t she saw t h e deceased Galilee Shembe i n h e r dreams and t h a t

she was t o l d t o t ake over t h e l e ade r sh ip . H e then r e f e r s t o Amos' c la im

and then t o Londa Shembe who re tu rned from Umlazi, . "who mar r ied a r i c h

man's daughter whom he had divorced". The s i t u a t i o n i s f o r him s o r i d i c u l o u s

t h a t even a woman c la ims success ion. She has a c t u a l l y a small fo l lowing.

The o r d i n a t i o n of t he two l e a d e r s has a l s o been i n v e s t i g a t e d bu t as I I o rd ina t ion ' ' i s no t done p u b l i c l y as i n t h e e s t a b l i s h e d churches bo th

Amos and Londa have those a d v e r s a r i e s who main ta in t h a t they are n o t

ordained. Some main ta in Amos Shembe was a l r e a d y a n i n i s t e r du r ing h i s

b r o t h e r ' s r e i gn and a l s o one o f h i s ch i e f L i eu t enan t ' s . This , however,

i s n o t t he c a s e as o t h e r e l d e r s were more c l o s e l y a s s o c i a t e d wi th Galilee

Shembe than h i s b ro the r .

Londa, aga in , i s accused t h a t he ordained himself as m i n i s t e r (Umfundisi)

when h i s f a t h e r was a l r e a d y dead. He i s made by some t h e s o l e scapegoat

because "he must realise he i s s t i l l ve ry young t o t a k e such r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . "

Londa Shembe's youth t hus coun ts a g a i n s t him whi le Amos Shembe has been

an e l d e r when Shembe I1 "ruled" t h e Church. One of t h e respondents

mainta in t h a t h i s f a t h e r t o l d him t h a t be fo r e I s i a h d i ed he c a l l e d bo th

Amos and Galilee t o h i s I s i g o d l o and t o l d them h i s days were few and

t h a t they should dec ide who w i l l t ake ove r . Amos then s t ood back f o r

Galilee who was more involved i n t h e Church a c t i v i t i e s wh i l e Amos was

a t t h e t i m e n o t an a c t i v e p a r t i c i p a n t . It was then agreed, accord ing

t o t h i s respondent , t h a t Amos should be t h e under s t udy "so t h a t when

Galilee passed away Amos Shembe would t ake over . It was t h e r e f o r e n o t

necessa ry f o r G a l i l e e t o a p p o i n t L a successor . 11

WHO SHOULD BE THE SUCCESSOR?

The conten t ion among some members i s t h a t Ga l i l ee Shembe, under t h e

guidance of I s i a h Shembe, should have appointed a successor before he died.

This i s how a Zulu King/ Chief appointed h i s successor . This i s t h e

accepted method m n g the Zulus f o r t h e appointment of a successor.

I s i a h Shembe, whose preroga t ive i t is t o appoint a successor as " t h i s

power i s delegated t o him by God", has n o t a s y e t chosen the l eade r .

He would have done so through Ga l i l ee Shembe who should have nominated

t h e re ign ing h e i r before he died but t h i s appointment which rests with God,

has no t been done. Most of the members are of t he opinion t h a t t h e

re ign ing leader of the Church should appoint the " t i t u l a r head of t h e

Church". The emphasis remains t h a t "the power t o choose t h e l eade r

belongs t o God ~ imse l f l ' and t o "no man on earth". The con ten t io r of some

i s t h a t because Amos Shembe has been "nominated by both h i s grandfather

and f a the r " he should be the head.

Others aga in query the method of appoint ing a successor. H e should no t

be appointed by the t i t u l a r head but should be "elected by the people

by s e c r e t b a l l o t . " S t i l l o t h e r s i n s i s t t h a t "the son of t h e l eade r

should be the successor". I s i a h Shembe remains uppermost i n the minds

of the members i n regard t o the e l e c t i o n of a l eader . It w i l l be done

through a dream which plays a v i t a l r o l e i n t r a d i t i o n a l Zulu l i f e a s the

ances tors comunica t e t h e i r messages through dreams. It i s maintained

t h a t the man I s i a h Shembe chooses " w i l l see I s i a h i n a v i s ion and he w i l l

be blessed and t o l d t o go t o the people with whatever message he go t

from I s i a h . H i s appearance a f t e r t h i s dream w i l l be such t h a t nobody

w i l l doubt t h a t he had seen I s iah ." This s p e c i f i c respondent does no t

th ink f o r a moment t h a t the person he i s t a lk ing about w i l l be e i t h e r

Londa o r Amos. He w i l l , however, be a descendant of I s i a h but who

i t w i l l be i s s t i l l a quest ion.

The e l d e s t son should have been the "na tura l successor under normal

circumstances but he was k i l l e d "mysteriously" a t Ekuphakameni a few

years ago. There is a rumour t h a t h i s b ro thers were involved i n h i s

death and t h a t Ga l i l ee knew about t h i s . He t r i e d by a l l means t o hide

h i s f e e l i n g s about t h i s tragedy but "it haunted him f o r t he rest of h i s

l i f e " . This could most probably account f o r him not naming a successor .

This e l d e s t son who was groomed t o be h i s successor was s e n t t o University

and eventua l ly took up a teaching pos t i n Swaziland. When on vacat ion

at home he met h i s "mysterious" death. This son was a c t u a l l y t h e only one

i n t e r e s t e d i n the Church and none of the o t h e r s - they a r e accused of

having been i n t e r e s t e d only i n luxury. Londa should now prove himself

according t o those who have t h i s vers ion of what happened : " A l l t h a t

remains now i s f o r Londa t o s tand the test of time and prove h i s worthiness

a s a leader . He might n o t have t h e same q u a l i t i e s and heavenly powers

t h a t h i s grandfather and h i s f a t h e r possessed but i f he can provide wise

and s t a b l e leadersh ip he w i l l be respected". Seeing t h a t none of h i s many

bro thers con tes t t h e leadership, another concludes t h a t "one can only

assume t h a t Londa i s r i g h t i n h i s claim t h a t he was chosen by h i s fa ther ."

Furthermore, Gal i lee Shembe had so many wives (plus - minus 100) so

t h a t i t does not necessa r i ly mean t h a t t h e e l d e s t son of h i s s en io r wife

becomes an automatic successor : "The l eade r i s guided by God i n choosing

the r i g h t successor from among h i s children".

It i s c l e a r t h a t although I s i a h and Gal i lee Shembe should ind ica t e

the successor, the content ion i s t h a t any pas t , present and f u t u r e

leader of the Church i s appointed eventual ly by God. God appointed I s i a h

"and t o l d him t o leave the Orange Free S t a t e and e s t a b l i s h the Church a t

Ekuphakameni. It was a l s o God who t o l d I s i a h t h a t h i s time on e a r t h

had come t o an end and t h a t he should appoint Gal i lee a s h i s successor".

God has thus the f i n a l say on such an appointment. Where I s i a h has

arranged t h a t Amos w i l l be the s u b s t i t u t e of Gal i lee , i f something happens

t o him, an opinion held by some - t h e f i n a l word l i e s with I s i a h who

founded the Church and who had the most d i r e c t contac t of them a l l with

Umvelingqangi (God).

WHY NOT AMOS SHEMBE?

It i s suggested t h a t because Gal i lee Shembe had many sons i t i s d i f f i c u l t

t o understand why Amos Shembe sees himself a s successor t o h i s bro ther .

I t i s "customary" f o r any man's pos i t ion t o be taken over by h i s son

when he d i e s . This was demonstrated by I s i a h Shembe when he appointed

Gal i lee . I t was a l s o sa id t h a t Amos i s "power hungry, a f a c t a l ready

prophesied by I s iah" . H e i s a c t u a l l y an "opportunist" "imposing himself

on the people". Others maintained t h a t he misleads t h e people i n t o

bel ieving t h a t he was nominated by I s i a h a s T i t u l a r Head a f t e r Gal i lee .

One member expressed t h e f e e l i n g of a number of followers of Londa, when

he s t a t e d t h a t "Amos should not appear on the scene. He was o l d e r than

Gal i lee and y e t I s i a h Shembe appointed t h e l a t t e r i n s t e a d of him. The

appointment was confirmed by God." A 48 year o l d male with S td V I I r e f e r s

t o Amos a s a "misguided o l d man who never achieved anything worthwhile

i n the 70 p lus years t h a t he has l ived. H e does not have long t o l i v e

and i s now t r y i n g to c l eve r ly amass a for tune f o r h i s chi ldren, f o r whom

he has done very l i t t l e when he had t h e time". It i s o f t e n s t a t e d t h a t

Amos Shembe i s a f t e r the wealth of h i s l a t e bro ther and t h a t "he knows

f u l l y w e l l t h a t he has no cla im t o t h e leadership. The l a r g e r following

can be a t t r i b u t e d t o h i s age and ora tory a b i l i t i e s " .

To those who wish t o give Amos t h e b e n e f i t of the doubt maintains t h a t h i s

performance a s leader of t h e Church w i l l t e l l i f he was appointed by God

and t h a t "people should be pa t ien t" . Others again maintain t h a t Amos

i s t h e " r i g h t f u l l eader of t he Church".

WHY LONDA?

Although Londa i s not t he e l d e s t son of Shembe 11, he i s the obvious

choice a s none of h i s bro thers showed any a c t i v e p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n church

a f f a i r s ; f o r o the r s , because of t h i s he must be given "the bene f i t of

t he doubt". One Std VIII male who was 15 years a member - formerly

from the Congregational Church - s t a t e s t h a t Londa made himself known

i n the Church "hardly a year before h i s f a t h e r died". H e r e c a l l s t h a t

hewas introduced t o them which should not be in t e rp re t ed t h a t he was

appointed successor. "But", he continued "I personal ly give my vote

t o the nephew who i s the l a t e l e a d e r ' s son!'.

There i s a l s o the content ion among Londa's followers t h a t he would not

have contested the leadership i f anyone of h i s e l d e r bro thers wanted it.

Others would see him a c t a s leader u n t i l such time a s the t i t u l a r head

i s appointed by God. He i s c r i t i c i s e d by o the r s f o r being an opportunis t 11 seeing i n the Church an opportunity t o l i v e an easy l i f e " ; o the r s s t a t e

t h a t those who support him want t o gain something. H e i s seen not a s

the h e i r bu t merely an "opportunist". H e i s warned t h a t "he i s i n v i t i n g

the wrath of h i s ancestors . Comparatively spoken, he has no following,

and each t i m e t h i s simple t r u t h i s d e m n s t r a t e d t o him, he runs t o the

white man's cou r t , which as f a r as we are concerned i s no t competent to

dec ide on the Shembe issue." Londa Shembe has l e g a l t r a i n i n g and hoped

t o e s t a b l i s h himself through t h e Court but , thus f a r without success.

Others a r e s a t i s f i e d t h a t t he l eade r sh ip of t he Church is i n t h e hands

of t he Shembe family; some have even spoken of t he church being "owned"

by t h e Shembe family. From t h i s they deduct t h a t t h e r e must be a w i l l .

IS THERE A SOLUTION?

There a r e those who maintain t h a t " j u s t a s we a r e no t competent t o choose

the l eade r , we a r e equa l ly no t competent t o so lve the d i f f i c u l t i e s i n t h e

Church". They maintain t h e r e would be more problems i f t he re was no

l eade r and propose t h a t t h e two - Amos Shembe because he simply has t h e

bigger following and Londa because he i s a younger man - "should come

toge ther and l ead t h e Church j o i n t l y . Af t e r a l l i t i s no t t h e i r s but

I s i a h Shembe's". According t o a l a rge number of respondents t h e age of

Amos counts a g a i n s t him a s does the inexperience of Londa. Londa i s

admonished t o be p a t i e n t .

Others again recommend t h a t they a l l should go t o Nhlangakazi ( t h e i r

Mount S i n a i where I s i a h Shembe received the laws) and ask the "old

I s i a h and Ga l i l ee Shembe t o give d i r ec t ion . " They a r e convinced t h a t

i f both f a c t i o n s can ge t t oge the r on t h i s mountain the founder and h i s

son w i l l communicate wi th Amos and Londa Shembe. I I No one on ear th"

they maintain, "can so lve our d i f f i c u l t i e s " . The s o l u t i o n l i e s wi th

God because of t he s i n s they have committed i n handl ing t h i s "s t ruggle

f o r power'' so they ni i in ta in . They f e e l they have t o go t o Nhlangakazi II and pray f o r repentance".

There a r e those who f e e l they have a s o l u t i o n but a r e too h e s i t a n t t o

revea l it . There i s the suggest ion t h a t t h e Zulu monarch should give

a f i rm r u l i n g and "anyone causing t roub le a f t e r t h a t should be sentenced

t o a long term i n j a i l " . Amos Shembe i s seen by some a s the r o o t cause

of a l l t he t roub le and he should be "excommunicated a s a h e r e t i c and

banned from t h e Church". The only s o l u t i o n f o r o t h e r s w i l l come when

he d i e s - "he i s an o l d man and h i s days a r e numbered". The susp ic ion

is with some t h a t Amos has appointed a successor from h i s own sons and

t h a t he "is t r y i n g t o s h i f t t he leadersh ip from the house of Ga l i l ee

t o h i s own house". Pa t ience on t h i s i s s u e accompanied by prayer i s

the watchword f o r some. Others would l ike t o see t h a t Londa withdraws

and t h a t G a l i l e e appoints a l e a d e r a s "his s p i r i t s t i l l r e igns . It

RELIGION AND TRADITION

The blending of r e l i g i o n ( i n t h i s c a se C h r i s t i a n i t y ) and t r a d i t i o n is t h e

main a t t r a c t i o n of The Church of t h e Nazar i t es as seen i n t h e J u l y c e l e b r a t i o n s

w i t h i t s week long dancing and c e l e b r a t i o n s . This has been expressed as I1 fo l lows by t h e respondents : Worshipping a long t r a d i t i o n a l l ines e s p e c i a l l y

dur ing our annual f e s t i v i t i e s i s t h e main a t t r a c t i o n of o u r church."

A 68 y e a r o l d i l l i t e ra te male r e p l i e s "The Church r e a l i s e s t h a t any n a t i o n

t h a t does no t keep t o i t s t r a d i t i o n a l b e l i e f s and customs, i s cursed i n

t h e eyes of God. God wants us t o adhere t o ou r customs and f e a r him.

That i s the f o c a l p o i n t of ou r Church". Reference i s a l s o made t o " d i s c i p l i n e

based on t r a d i t i o n a l l i n e s and t h e brotherhood of mankind" as t h e main

a t t r a c t i o n of t h i s church. Others add t h a t i t s " p r i n c i p l e s and teachings"

a r e a t t r a c t i v e and i t s "manner of worship". The l i t u r g y of t h i s church

i s adapted i n t h e Zulu con tex t and t h e d o c t r i n e t akes n o t e of t h e Zulu

approach t o t h e supe rna tu ra l world. This i s seen a t t h e ho ly mountain

(Nhlangakazi) and t h e s e r v i c e s and could be de t ec t ed from t h e genera l

atmosphere t h a t p r e v a i l s . Here t h e ances to r s p l ay a g r e a t r o l e . God

is c a l l e d Inkos i yamakhosi i . e . t h e Ancestor of the ances to r s . This t i t l e

i s a l s o given t o I s i a h Shembe. God and t h e ances to r s a r e i n t h e same

s p i r i t u a l realm. The ances to r s , be ing c l o s e r t o God, i n t e r c e d e f o r

t h e i r r e l a t i v e s and mediate H i s b l e s s i n g s t o t h e i r progeny. To g e t i n t o

con t ac t wi th t h e a n c e s t r a l s p i t i t s i s t o f i n d access t o God; they r e f l e c t

t h e power which they r ece ive from God h imse l f . Accepting t h i s important

aspec t i n t h e t r a d i t i o n a l Af r ican ' s l i f e has been t o t h e advantage of

t h i s Church.

One 60 year o l d i l l i t e r a t e male main ta ins t h a t he was brought from

Swaziland by an aunt t o be in t roduced t o The Church of t h e Nazar i t es

a t Indwedwe (Nata l ) . H e had twelve b r o t h e r s and e i g h t s i s t e r s of whom

a number have died even "before they g e t married". He , however, f e e l s

t h a t being a member of The Church o f t h e Nazar i t es exp l a in s why a l l

t en of h i s c h i l d r e n a r e s t i l l i n good h e a l t h - " t h i s would never have

happened had I n o t jo ined t h i s Church." H e s t a t e s t h a t t h i s i s h i s

s p e c i f i c reason bu t o t h e r s have t h e i r own reasons .

The Church i s seen a s a d i s c i p l i n e d i n s t i t u t i o n when it comes t o morals - t h e r e r e igns a s t r i c t code of moral d i s c i p l i n e so t h a t promiscuity i s

confronted and stamped ou t and smoking and dr ink ing of a lcohol are

p roh ib i t ed under t h e moral law. It i s s t a t e d t h a t "the Church t h r i v e s

on p r a c t i c a l i t y and no t on theory" i.e. t h e Church i s considered t o be

meaningful i n t h e s p i r i t u a l as well as t h e s e c u l a r l i v e s of t h e members.

Furthermore, an ex-Anglican member states t h a t t h e Church c a t e r s f o r

people of a l l walks of l i f e : "The h igh ly educated as w e l l as t h e completely

i l l i t e r a t e f i n d one another i n our Church. It is a l s o an e f f o r t by t h e

black man t o accept t he good i n western c i v i l i z a t i o n and r e t a i n t h e good

i n h i s own cul ture" . "Here people worship God without c a s t i n g o f f t h e i r

n a t u r a l and t r a d i t i o n a l iden t i ty" .

It i s a church i n which problems a r e solved : A Std V I I male member states :

"People i n The Church of t he Nazar i tes a r e happy people. Nothing worr ies

them. You j o i n t he Church when you experience many problems and i n no

t i m e a l l your problems a r e solved and you never look back". Here people

do no t l o s e t h e i r b e l i e f i n "the power of t he unknown whom they regard

a s the f a t h e r of t he amadlozi".

AMOS ' NEW HEADQUARTERS

Amos has e s t ab l i shed h i s headquar ters 10 ki lometres awsy from Ekuphakameni

which has brought r eac t ion from Londa's fol lowers : "Anyone seeking

to r e - e s t ab l i sh t h i s cen t r e elsewhere w i l l be destroyed by God". " I s i ah

Shembe was sen t by God to found Ekuphakameni as headquar ters of our Church.

It w i l l remain so a s long a s t he Church exists!.

The ques t ion a r i s e s whether Anios has weakened h i s p o s i t i o n i n e s t a b l i s h i n g

a new headquar ter away from Ekuphakameni. Thus f a r t h i s does no t seem

t o be t h e case al though, t h e r e a r e d i scuss ions among them whether they

should no t move back to Ekuphakameni. Ekuphakameni, however, s t i l l

renlains t h e c e n t r e of t he Church a s evidenced by t h e 40 000 who gathered

on the 21s t Ju ly , 1981 a t Ekuphakameni t o dec l a re I s i a h Shembe, t h e

founder, a s a i n t .

WHETHER THEY WENT TO NHLANGAKAZI I N JANUARY 1980

Many were a f r a i d t o go. One respondent s t a t e d : "Yes I had j u s t

got married and had, t he re fo re , t o go t o Nhlangakazi as is t r a d i t i o n a l

wi th a l l newly weds i n t h e Church. I must admit I was a b i t scared

as t h e proceedings t h e r e were no t t h e same as i n previous years."

Another, a woman, d id no t go, because she was scared t h a t " the presen t

s t r u g g l e f o r l eadersh ip might r e s u l t i n bloodshed a s has a l ready happened

a t Ekuphakameni". Yet another merely went al though no t a supporter of

n e i t h e r of t he two, i t was t o him more a ques t ion of "having gone the re

f o r t he l a s t 15 years". A l l those who d id no t go f e l t i t was unsafe

t o do so and expected se r ious f i g h t i n g there . Furthermore, they were

used t o go as a "united church" i n the pas t . When i t was announced t h a t

they would go there i n two f a c t i o n s "they decided to abstain". S t i l l

o t h e r s maintained t h a t the Government "banned the meeting when i t appeared

t h a t a f i g h t was looming".

Here i s thus a g rea t f e s t i v a l of t he p a s t which has been c r ipp led as

a r e s u l t of the leadersh ip s t ruggle . The s a n c t i t y of the f e s t i v a l was

not i n a p o s i t i o n t o hold the groups together with the r e s u l t i t was

ce lebra ted sepa ra t e ly and e rupt ions d id a r i s e . The controversy a l s o

a f f ec t ed the 1981 ce l eb ra t ions .

KILL THIS LEADERSHIP ISSCE EVENTUALLY BE SOLVED?

There a r e those who a r e of t he opinion t h a t a white man w i l l so lve t h e

leadersh ip i s s u e and some even maintain i t was revealed t o them through

a dream. Others again r e f e r to t he age of A.K. Shembe and t h a t "it

w i l l not be long before A.K. dies". Those who a r e more r e a l i s t i c maintain

i t w i l l -take t i m e , although i n the words of one respondent, they maintain

t h a t "people w i l l e i t h e r catch A.K. Shembe's b luf f o r Amos, who i s a l ready

i n h i s sevent ies , w i l l simply d i e from o ld age". The average follower

of Londa i s of the opinion t h a t the i s s u e w i l l be solved when "A.K." d ies .

Nhlangakazi s t i l l plays a s i g n i f i c a n t r o l e with members of both l eade r s

and some f i rmly be l ieve t h a t the s o l u t i o n " w i l l happen a t Nhlangakazi.

A voice w i l l appear from the mountains and t h i s voice w i l l c l e a r l y announce

who the l eade r of the Church should be. That w i l l be t h e voice of

Galilee". The hymnal o f t e n r e f e r s t o "the voice" and i n t h i s church

hearing the announcements from the supernaturalworld i s of g r e a t s ign i f i cance .

Shembe I and Shembe I1 are symbols which g ive r e l i g i o u s meaningfulness

t o t h e very e x i s t e n c e of t h e i r fo l lowers . Through them t h e i r world

became t r anspa ren t f o r them. To t h e i r fo l lowers they revea led a sacral

s t r u c t u r e of t he world; i t s real essence has become clearer f o r them

which goes beyond t h e r a t i o n a l understanding of i t . They combine i n

themselves t h e cosmogonic, an thropolog ica l and s o t e r i o l o g i c a l and they

e s t a b l i s h e d a br idge between t h e microcosmos and t h e macrocosmos. A s

symbols Shembe I and I1 are express ions of t h e t o t a l i t y and cosmic u n i t y

of t h e world on t he r e l i g i o u s l e v e l ; they a r e t he man i f e s t a t i on of t h e

t ranscendenta l and through them t h e i r fo l lowers have a continuous con tac t

w i th t he holy. They r ep re sen t a r e a l i t y i n which t h e people a r e e x i s t e n t i a l l y

involved. This is no t r e l a t e d t o understanding but t o psychic l i v i n g ;

i t has t o do wi th dep th psychology.

Through t h i s psychic l i v i n g cosmos i s c r ea t ed o u t of chaos. This i s why

they a r e a s soc i a t ed wi th a r e l i g i o u s geographical c e n t r a l po in t such a s

t h e holy c i t y , t he new Jerusalem. Here con tac t of .the e a r t h wi th heaven

i s e f f ec t ed . These p l aces a r e microcosmic r ep re sen t a t i ons of the super=

n a t u r a l world and the cosmic mountain a l s o becomes an i n t ima te con tac t

e s t a b l i s h i n g a r ea . Both t h e holy c i t y (Ekuphakameni) and t h e holy

mountain (Nhlangakazi) a r e of cosmic s ign i f i cance . Here time is no t

homogeneous but here a r e holy times f o r s p e c i a l con t ac t with t he superP

n a t u r a l world c h a r a c t e r i s e d by holy f e a s t s and f e s t i v i t i e s such a s t h e

Ju ly f e s t i v a l and t h e Nhlangakazi ceremony dur ing January of each year.

These holy times a r e r eve r sab l e and r e p e t i t i v e and make p re sen t t he

mythical o r i g i n a l time which i s holy and s t r o n g and t h e r e p e t i t i o n of

it i n t h e p resen t l e ads t o p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n i t and i t s powers.

I n t h i s context t h e l eade r is of paramount importance. This accounts

f o r t he concen t ra t ion of Shembe I who has been a t t r i b u t e d messianic

q u a l i t i e s and even tua l ly been dec la red a s a i n t on 19 Ju ly 1981 a t

Ekuphakameni. He i s not merely an e ikon but i n a sermon r e l a t e d by

Sundkler I s i a h Shembe i s descr ibed a s t h e one who "showed you a God

who walks on f e e t and who h e a l s with h i s l?ands." J u s t a s t he Zulu

k ing was the very s e l f of t h e t r i b e , loaded wi th power, e x e r t i n g

1 . Sundkler, B.G.M., Bantu Prophets i n South Afr ica , Oxford 2

Univers i ty Press , 1961 , p. 278.

g r e a t in f luence on the na t ion and a c t i n g as mediator between t h e t r i b e

here and t h e continued t r i b e i n the beyond, i n t he same way Shembe I

espec ia l ly , became the very s e l f of the church he founded. J u s t a s

t he Zulu k ing was simultaneously the p r i e s t , d i v i n e r , r u l e r and lawgiver

and holy i n person f o r t h e Zulus before whom they p r o s t r a t e d themselves

i n reverence, so was Shembe I and Shembe I1 f o r t h e i r f lock. The church's

l eadersh ip s t r u g g l e cannot be separa ted from t h i s background. I f Shembe I1

had c l e a r l y ind ica ted h i s successor t o confidantes , t he re would have been

no leadersh ip problems but because he has no t done so the i s s u e was thrown

t o the adherents t o decide which took away t h e s a c r a l element i n regard

to t h e succession i ssue . Londa Shembe and Amos Shembe a r e ord inary persons

about whom a dec is ion had t o be made and Amos Shembe i n c l o s e r a s soc ia t ion

with I s i a h Shembe (who was h i s f a t h e r ) and an e l d e r l y man i n the Shembe

family, became the choice f o r t h e l a r g e s t major i ty who as t r a d i t i o n a l i s t s

are p a t e r n a l i s t i c i n t h e i r approach.

The major emphasis of the major i ty i s t o have undisturbed contac t with

Shembe I and Shembe 11. Even when Londa Shembe comes with the a f f i d a v i t s

of h i s fol lowers and with v i s ions and dreams he experienced, the major i ty

cannot accept him. The guided dream has always been a v i t a l f a c t o r i n

the l i f e of t h i s Church. But Londa Shembe has d i f f i c u l t y i n convincing

h i s opponents t h a t these dreams a r e genuine. The pressures of c o l l e c t i v i s t i c

t rends a r e s t ronger than the words of an ind iv idua l even though he may

be educated. It i s a l s o the case i n the e s t ab l i shed Churches i n Afr ica

t h a t the ind iv idua l does not decide whether he wants t o t r a i n f o r the

minis t ry . It i s the Church e i t h e r through the bishop, the synod,

assembly o r min is te r who extends the c a l l . This i s the r e s u l t of t he

comunal s t r u c t u r e of African soc ie ty , where the group i s the b a s i c f a c t o r

- i n the case of The Church of the Nazar i tes i t i s the major i ty who i s

the bas i c f a c t o r . I n Afr ica the family used to decide who becomes the

teacher of the c lan ; the e l d e r s had a grea t say a s t o t h e f u t u r e of

those under t h e i r j u r i s d i c t i o n and the Chief has the dec is ive r o l e i n

t h i s connection.

The problem, however, i s t h a t t he c o l l e c t i v i s t i c approach is too mechanical

as t h e c a l l t o be a min i s t e r o r r e l i g i o u s leader comes much e a r l i e r i n

an ind iv idua l ' s l i f e . One could say t h a t t h e c a l l of t he group a c t u a l i z e s

t he ind iv idua l c a l l . Contras t ing Amos Shembe with Londa Shembe i n t h i s

r e s p e c t , it could be maintained t h a t Londa Shembe's ca l l i s more genuine

than t h a t which Amos Shembe main ta ins he rece ived . Amos Shembe showed

very l i t t l e evidence i n h i s l i f e time of h i s genuine i n t e r e s t i n t h e

Church. I n A f r i c a i t i s t r a d i t i o n t h a t a man should on ly be ordained

when he reaches a mature age. Age i s important - t h i s p layed a v i t a l

r o l e i n t h i s l e ade r sh ip s t r u g g l e i n s p i t e o f t he f a c t t h a t Londa Shembe

i s a mature person. On t h e b a s i s of t h e h e r e d i t a r y c h i e f t a i n s h i p ,

Londa Shembe aga in has g r e a t e r claim t o t h e headship than Amos Shembe.

I n Southern A f r i c a where rank p l ays a major r o l e among t r a d i t i o n a l Af r ican

s o c i e t i e s , p r i e s t s and p a s t o r s used t o come o f t e n from c h i e f ' s f a m i l i e s

a t least dur ing t he f i r s t two genera t ions . The system of rank forms

t h e fundamental p a t t e r n o f t h e Zulu soc i e ty . The p o s i t i o n of t h e k ing

was i n t he golden e r a of Zulu h i s t o r y of paramount importance. The

people and the land belonged t o him. This i s why t h e possess ions o f

The Church of t h e Naza r i t e s he r e become such a con ten t ious i s s u e . The

l e a d e r has t h e f i n a l say over t h i s but Amos Shembe i s n o t t r u s t e d by

some of Shembe 11's con f idan t e s , because of h i s background i n t h i s

connection. The k ing was t h e r e l i g i o u s l e ade r , performing t he main

ceremonies and magical a c t s on behalf of the n a t i o n ; through t h e f i r s t

f r u i t ceremonies he was s t reng thened and c leansed i n t h e name of t he

n a t i o n ; he was t he g r e a t medicine man of t h e t r i b e . Thus, t he p a t t e r n

of k ing - n a t i o n r e l a t i o n s h i p s t i l l e x i s t s on d i f f e r e n t l e v e l s and t h e

p a s t h i s t o r y s t i l l moulds i t s ou t look on t h e p r e sen t . This g lo r ious

h i s t o r y of the p a s t i s what i s hoped t o be recouped i n The Church of

t he Nazar i t es ; he r e the g l o r i o u s h i s t o r y o f the Zulu n a t i o n i s being

r e l i v e d . Here the k ingsh ip p a t t e r n of Zulu s o c i e t y f i n d s r e l i g i o u s

express ion i n t he s a c r a l l e ade r sh ip p a t t e r n . Such a l e a d e r has t o be t h e

embodiment of t he group; he must have f f i s i t h u n z i f f i .e . p e r s o n a l i t y ;

p r e s t i g e and be impress ive wi th an au ra of t he h i g h e s t a u t h o r i t y .

According t o Amos Shembe's adheren t s Londa Shembe cannot f i t i n t o t he

image of such a l e a d e r . Londa i s r a t h e r t h e q u i e t , unassuming person

who do no t t r y to make a n impression whereas Amos Shembe i s the e l d e r l y

man, wi th whi te beard and make h i s presence f e l t . I s i a h Shembe combined

both t h e c h i e f and prophet d i v i n e r type i n h i s p e r s o n a l i t y and had ou t=

s t and ing cha r i sma t i c g i f t s . He was n o t only a good o rgan i se r wi th

execu t ive a b i l i t y b u t had a l s o d i s t i n c t h e a l i n g powers. H e had h i s

daughter marrying k ing Solomon i n o r d e r t o be a s s o c i a t e d wi th t h e roya l

family . ( c f . I z i h a b e l e l o 116) I n t h e Church came thus t h e a u r a o f

roya l ty which i s i n h e r i t e d and t h a t of t h e d iv ine r which was a l s o

associated with t h e king but which i s not inher i ted . Most min i s t e r s i n

Afr ica had t h e d e s i r e t h a t t h e i r sons o r one of t h e i r sons w i l l r ep lace

them. This could probably a l s o have been t h e d e s i r e of Shembe 11 who

had a grea t respec t f o r t he t r a d i t i o n a l values.

The elevated pos i t ion which Shembe I and I1 held i n the Church and which

makes it d i f f i c u l t f o r any successor should a l s o be seen i n the Zulu

understanding of how a symbol should be in t e rp re t ed . For t h e Zulu a

symbol means t h e bringing toge ther of two r e a l i t i e s . "It means" i s

equal t o "it is". For t h e t r a d i t i o n a l person t h e human image of t h e

Divine is divine even though i t may not be such i n a l l aspects . The

d i v i n i t y takes p a r t i n such an image. This approach could be discovered

i n connection with the controversy i n western theology i n regard t o t h e

elements used i n holy communion o r eucha r i s t . I n l i b e r a l theology the

bread and wine i s a mere s i g n of the body and blood of Chr is t but t r a d i t i o n a l ,

c a l l e d "primitive" theology, teaches t h a t t he bread and wine "is" the body

and blood of Chr is t i . e . t r ansubs tan t i a t ion has a c t u a l l y taken place.

In the same manner f o r t h e t r a d i t i o n a l approach the s a c r a l l eader i s

what he represents .

This could a l s o be explained with another example. When a person represents

h i s manager o r d i r e c t o r i t i s only p a r t l y and occasional . But i n the

t r a d i t i o n a l mental i ty representa t ion i s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n and i d e n t i f i c a t i o n

i s i d e n t i t y . A f u r t h e r example i s the mask dances where the person who

dances i n such a mask i d e n t i f i e s himself with a s p i r i t o r de i ty . Such

a person does not represent t he powers of t he supernatural being a s an

a c t o r represents someone e l s e . But the ac tua l powers a r e present i n the

dance with the r e s u l t t h a t f e r t i l i t y , r a i n , good crops, magical power e t c .

a r e received. Shembe p a r t i c i p a t e s i n Umvelingqangi ( t r a d i t i o n a l Zulu

name f o r God) and Umvelingqangi p a r t i c i p a t e s i n him so t h a t he i s a s a c r a l

personal i ty with supernatural powers and l i k e the d iv ine r he i s not only

t h e s p e c i a l i s t i n t h i s power but a l s o the g ive r of i t . The o lde r a person

is and the higher h i s s o c i a l s t a t u s the more he i s thought t o have of t h i s

power, e i t h e r i n himself o r through the ob jec t s he uses. This i s why

thousands f lock to Ekuphakameni and Nhlangakazi during c e r t a i n times of

t h e year.

The person who leads the Church i s expected t o have s p e c i a l q u a l i t i e s i n

order t o mediate from the powers beyond supernatural b e n e f i t s t o h i s

f lock. Here one f inds a shar ing of being. For t h e t r a d i t i o n a l mind

a person can be p a r t of another person e s p e c i a l l y when such persons a r e

c lose ly r e l a t ed . Shembe I and I1 have a share i n the d iv ine c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s

of the supernatural forces . When Shembe I used the word i A k 6 i ("Lord")

i n h i s hymns h i s adherents appl ied it t o him and he never discouraged

them t o do so; when Shembe I1 used it i n h i s hymns and sermons, i t

re fe r red t o h i s f a t h e r . Shembe L was s e n t t o the Zulu na t ion a s o thers

were sent t o o the r na t ions ; a s they see it, a s Jesus was s e n t t o h i s people

and the white man. This i s why Shembeites w i l l say they pray t o Shembe

and not t o Jesus because "Jesus i s your kind, Shembe i s our kind". Sundkler

speaks of the "evermoving ambivalence and ever flowing ambiguity, which

i s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of t h i s kind of re l ig ion ."

Shembe I intended t h a t succession of the headship i n t h i s church should

follow the t r a d i t i o n a l Zulu l i n e s . Vilakazi s t a t e s t h a t the people

maintained t h a t "the o l d Shembe had always declared t h a t although the

o ld f l e s h might d i e one day, the essence of Shembe remains i n the new

f l e sh . I n o the r words, he would ' cas t e h i s mantle' of power upon h i s

son1'. (cf . A. Vilakazi, Isonto lamanazaretha : The Church of the

Nazari tes , Hartford, Connecticut, May 1954, p. 37). Vilakazi adds

"the Zulu understands t h i s kind of talk", t h a t t o them "the son i s

the extension of the f a t h e r ' s personality1', an idea expressed i n Zulu

as follows : UkuzaZa uktizeZuZa amathurnbo. (Ibid, p. 72). Shembe 11,

i n h i s l i f e time received many reve la t ions from h i s f a the r . Shembe I

i s the very essence of the Church. Vilakazi s t a t e s : "Shembe modelled

on the old, but brought i n a considerable amount of Chr i s t i an elements"

( f i i d , p. 95). This i s not merely a mixture of r e l ig ions but a new

Zuluized r e l i g i o n where the Zulu Shembe I and I1 stand a t the cen t re

of the supernatural world and "the only d i f fe rence between the two men

(Chris t and Shembe), they say, i s t h a t one was white and the o the r was

black" (Ibid, p. 90) .

DOES A SURVEY BEFORE SHEMBE 11's DECEASE THROW ANY

LIGHT ON THE COMPLEX SUCCESSION ISSUE?

I n a survey executed anaong l eade r s and adherents of The Church of t h e

Nazar i tes i n 1974 var ious ques t ions were asked e s p e c i a l l y i n regard

t o the p o s i t i o n of Shembe I and I1 i n t h e Church.

A ques t ion was asked a s t o whom t h e i r Church "belongs". A l l except one

(who s a i d i t belongs t o Jesus Chr i s t ) s t a t e d t h a t i t belongs e i t h e r t o

Shembe I o r I1 o r both. One s t a t e d : "Gal i lee 's son w i l l take over

a f t e r t he death of h i s f a t h e r . Then t h e Church w i l l a l s o belong t o him

a s i t belongs t o Ga l i l ee and a s i t did belong t o ls iahl ' . On t h e ques t ion

who Shembe I i s , s eve ra l s a i d t h a t he i s t h e i r god. One who decided

t o leave t h e Church s t a t e d "he i s s a i d t o be the God of a l l Shembeites". 2 3

H e brought the "word" t o them (cf . I n l . 127 ; 1 304; 161 3; 158 ) ; h i s

hea l ing power has been a t t h e i r d isposal and one s t a t e d "what I know i s

t h a t he i s God and he performs miraculous acts". Another claimed :

"He i s our God, the one I m e t when I was brought from t h e dead. I was

signed dead and sen t t o the mortuary where I rose".

Some saw Shembe I as t he one "prophesied by the Old Testament prophets

and s a i d t o be a black prophet who w i l l l ead h i s people l i k e Moses".

A 70 year o ld i l l i t e r a t e preacher en~pha t i ca l ly s t a t e d : "He i s our

God, i n f a c t t he God of a l l the blacks". Most preachers s ee him a s

f a t h e r , prophet and saviour : "He has done a l o t f o r h i s people. He

has prepared a p lace f o r them i n the world and the next . When i n need

you go to him and he provides f o r you i f i t i s necessary". About

Shembe I1 one respondent s t a t e d : "He i s the l e a d e r of the Church.

You see, most people take i t t h a t Shembe himself i s a l i v i n g God.

This i s f a l s e : Shembe himself does not accept t h i s . From h i s speech

you can f e e l t h a t he knows t h a t there i s something above him. This

somebody I would c a l l God, the only ~Mvel ingqangi ."

The adherents pray t o Shembe I and I1 and a number s t a t e d t h a t they pray

t o Shembe I1 because they know him. Others again emphasized t h e u n i t y

of Father and Son, t h a t they a r e "both one person". The f a c t i s t h a t

they a l l pray t o e i t h e r Shembe I o r Shembe I1 o r both but most t o Shembe I1

a s they know him personal ly .

For b u t one except ion, none of t h e respondents pray t o J e sus and f o r

s e v e r a l reasons :

( a ) they do n o t know him;

(b) he has done them no good as He i s too f a r removed from them - they keep themselves busy with t he f o r c e s n e a r e s t t o them;

(c) Jesus has n o t healed any of them;

(d) they have never been taught t o pray t o J e sus whi le a preacher states he i s aware of h i s power;

(e) they do n o t accep t Jesus as C h r i s t i a n s do but he does come " in to our minds", says one respondent and adds "Shembe i s the n e a r e s t t o our God, uMvelingqangi. . I have never seen Jesus and he has no t done me a thing";

( f ) a few refused t o answer. The name of Jesus i s mentioned only i n seven of I s i a h Shembe's 21 9 hymns and i n none of G a l i l e e Shembe's hymns.

I s i a h Shembe's Isl. 84 with i t s t h r e e Amens a f t e r each verse , d i r e c t s

a l l a t t e n t i o n t o himself a s t he r e s t o r e r of t he Zulu nat ion. The f i r s t

and s i x t h ve r se s read a s fol lows :

1 . So good is our iNkosi (Lord)

So good i s Simakade ( i . e . t h e Eternal One)

Af t e r a l l , j u s t as good

the iNkosi of t he Nazar i tes

6. Beaut i fu l a r e you leopard of us

Beaut i fu l a r e you our C h r i s t , +

Stand up you iNkosi of us

That you may crush our enemies

+ Krestu, t he Zuluised word used here , means s a i n t , s a i n t l y man, one who

l eads a C h r i s t i a n l i f e .

Anyone who made a c a r e f u l study of t he IzihZabeZeZo zarnaiVazaretha ( the

hymnal of The Church of t he Nazar i tes ) w i l l n o t i c e how t h e p lace of

J e sus Chr i s t i s taken by Shembe I and no wonder t h a t Isl: 154, which

Sundkler c a l l s the swrrma f idei and credo of t h i s Church, excludes

J e sus C h r i s t a l t o g e t h e r ( t h i s i s a l s o ev iden t i n I s l . 73) namely :

I bel ieve i n t h e Father

and i n t h e Holy S p i r i t

and i n the cormnunion of s a i n t s

of t h e Nazar i tes .

Even t h e Holy S p i r i t has become an instrument i n the hands of Shembe I.

The "Spi r i t " "is i n t e r p r e t e d i n terms of possession, a s a s t a t e of mind",

j u s t a s the d iv ine r used t o be possessed by the S p i r i t . (c f . G.C. Oosthuizen, I1 The misunderstanding of the Holy S p i r i t i n t h e independent movements i n

Africa", i n Chriatusprediking i n de weretd, J .H. van den Berg (ed.) ,

Kampen, Kok, 1964). The respondents described t h e Holy S p i r i t a s a

dr iv ing force , t h e i n v i s i b l e power which keeps everything moving, "the

instrument of Shembe, he works wonders through it" ( t h i s r e f e r r e d t o

Shembe I1 when he was s t i l l a l i v e ) ; "the power shared by Jesus and Shembe

through which they a r e ab le t o perform g rea t works"; o t h e r s again see

the Holy S p i r i t a s t h e power of Shembe over h i s people and "those who

worship him"; it i s t h e l i n k between God, Jesus and Shembe; i t i s the

power which h e a l s a t a d i s t ance ; t he Holy S p i r i t flows t o Shembe a s it

did with Jesus Chr i s t .

God, Jesus Chr i s t , the Holy S p i r i t , Shembe I and I1 a r e c l o s e l y bound

together . A l a rge percentage of the respondents maintained t h a t a

shar ing of the d i v i n i t y i s evident . Shembe shares with Jesus the name

Nazari te because he was s e t a p a r t and abstained from alcohol and tobacco.

Some s t a t e d t h a t Jesus appeared with Shembe I on some of h i s photographs

and a t baptisms. While Jesus i s the r e f l e c t i o n of God t h e f a t h e r f o r

t h e whites, Shembe i s t h e r e f l e c t i o n of God f o r the black people.

J u s t a s Jesus i s the son of God; so Shembe i s the son of God and because

of t h i s sonship they a r e r e l a t ed . None of the preachers denied t h e

d i v i n i t y of t he Shembes. This is not s t range t o t h e Zulus a s i n the

time of Shaka the Zulu c h i e f s were a t t r i b u t e d d iv ine c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s .

A female preacher explains her po in t of view a s follows : "God i s

~Mvelingqangi and Jesus is h i s son and the Holy S p i r i t i s God's inf luence

on Jesus and Shembe. Shembe and Jesus share t h i s Holy Spi r i t " .

A woman with 5 years schooling t r i e d t o c l a r i f y a s follows how Jesus

became Shembe to the Zulus : "Shembe and Jesus l inked because Shembe

i s Jesus , don't be misled by t h e word Shembe ..... See Revelations 21.

The o l d sea and t h e o l d world w i l l pass away . . . . . . Those who en te red

were those wi th whi te (c lean) f e e t ... Those wi th f a t f e e t (ezinyawo

encebeteyo) c r i t i c i s e d . Jesus s a i d "I w i l l depar t from t h i s t r i b e

to t h e one wi th h a i r l i k e sheep. So t h e world w i l l be a new world and

my name w i l l be a new name. Jesus persona l ly w i l l a cqu i r e t h e characteristics

of t h i s new world's people. This t r i b e (house) came long ago with i ts

God, Shembe". Shembe I is t h e e scha to log ica l k ing o r Black Chr i s t .

I n him t h e r e s t o r a t i o n of "uzuluness" i s once aga in r e a l i s e d i n i ts f u l l 6

glory. I n Isl . 216 the re fe rence i s to t h e golden age of t h e Zulu na t ion

during the time of Shaka and Dingaan bu t which has been dest royed by the

whi tes . Now, however, t h i s has been r e s to red a t Ekuphakameni through

I s i a h Shembe. The c l imate was prepared f o r t he re-establishment of t h e

Zulu kingship through a messianic f i gu re . This is a l s o seen i n t he i o y a l

Psalms (2, 72, 110), which a r e no t messianic but which form a br idge t o

t he messianic f a i t h . The whole r e l i g i o u s p o l i t i c a l idea complex round

the king and what was expected of him formed the feeding ground of messianic

expecta t ions .

What t h e respondents were s u r e about i s t h a t Jesus could be ignored but

no t Shembe I o r 11. Even baptism takes p lace i n t h e i r names al though

Jesus was seen t o be s tanding sometimes nex t t o them when they bap t i sed

people. Between I s i a h Shembe and h i s son Galilee a symbiotic union

e x i s t e d a s i s t he ca se i n the Zulu s o c i e t y between them and t h e i r ances tors .

Jesus had no d i r e c t con tac t wi th t he respondents except one. A 24 year

o ld male with n ine school years s t a t e d "he i s a white man; I am not .

How can he be my saviour?" A 55 year o l d w i th e i g h t school years and

over 20 years a member of the Church s t a t e s : "Like Shembe he i s a

God but of t h e white man". For a 47 year o l d wi th f i v e years schooling

and 16 years membership "Jesus has a r o l e t o play because he i s the

beginner of C h r i s t i a n i t y u n t i l Shembe. Without Jesus people would no t

understand what Shembe says". A 75 year o l d maintained Jesus i s a

prophet "because he prophesied the coming of Shembe and he was o f t e n

seen with Shembe when the whi tes snapped him". For a preacher "it 's

a whi te man's God" and he adds "he has no p lace i n my heart". Shembe

i s the n e a r e s t t o God f o r t he Zulu - not Jesus . This i s why baptism,

f o r example, i s adminis tered no t i n t h e name of Jesus but i n t h e name of

t h e Shembes. A l l t h e preachers amng the respo6dents s t a t e d f r ank ly llM" they a r e no t Chr i s t i ans . Two of the respondents s t a t e d they are

Chr i s t i ans as well as Shembeites. About nothing e l s e were about 94%

of t h e respondents so emphatic namely t h a t they are not C h r i s t i a n s . 3 J e sus is p i c t u r e d i n Isl. 61 a s having l e f t and t h a t Shembe I has

t aken h i s p lace .

Shembe I and I1 and n o t J e sus C h r i s t , a r e t h e media to r s o f t h e Zulu

na t i on . The C h r i s t i a n s have accord ing t o t h e adheren t s , be t rayed t h e

"Zuluness" of t h e Zulu na t i on . A few mainta ined J e s u s i nca rna t ed a

b l ack man, Shembe. The s u p e r s c r i p t i o n of Isl. 220, w r i t t e n by Shembe I1

states t h a t I s i a h Shembe has w r i t t e n t h i s hymn a f t e r h i s s u r r e c t i o n

and i n Isl. 2213 Shembe I1 r e f e r s t o h i s f a t h e r a s t h e "Nkosi Yamakhosi",

t he k i n g of k ings , t h e Almighty one.

Shembe I1 was t r e a t e d wi th g r e a t reverence by h i s f o l l ower s ; h i s pe r son

was surrounded by mystery and he i s t r e a t e d w i th awe. They kneeled

be fo r e him (ukuguqa) a s they d i d b e f o r e Shembe I. A s t h e Zulu k ing

spoke t o h i s people through a second person, s o d i d Shembe I1 when he

spoke t o t h e congregation.

Shembe I and I1 shared i n t h e d i v i n e being i n t h e same way a s J e s u s shared

i n i t . Here i s t h e mythica l d i s p o s i t i o n a t work namely an even t which

took p l a c e i n t h e p a s t i s reproduced. As J e sus represen ted God, who

was God w i th h i s people , so is Shembe wi th h i s . I n mythica l t h ink ing

t he same must happen what happened once i n t h e d i s t a n t p a s t . It could

be reproduced. The s t o r y of Jesus i s thus seen i n mythica l and n o t

h i s t o r i c a l c o n t e x t . It i s repea ted through Shembe and t h i s p rocess could

be t r a c e d from Je sus , t o Shembe I, t o Shembe 11 and no t through t h e

miss ion of t h e west. I n Shembe I and 11 two r e a l i t i e s a r e brought

t oge the r f o r t he Zulu namely God and t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e Zulu

na t ion . Here i s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n of be ing; n o t mere p a r t l y o r occa s iona l

r e p r e s e n t a t i o n . Shembe I i n h i s t i m e , and Shembe I1 i n h i s mediated

t o t h e i r people t h e mys t i c a l power which comes from t h e supe rna tu r a l

world. From t h e Shembes t h i s power was mediated t o s i c k p a t i e n t s

inter aZia by means o f a holy s t a f f , t h e s i g n of a u t h o r i t y . The whole I I s a l v a t i o n " h i s t o r y was repea ted i n Shembe I f o r t h e Zulu n a t i o n and

cont inued i n Shembe 11. This r e l i g i o n i s no t merely a r e a c t i o n a g a i n s t

a p a l e whi te C h r i s t from a r a c i a l i s t p o i n t of view. The Naza r i t e i s

i n t e r e s t e d i n d iv ine involvement i n t h e same way a s t h e p r e - c h r i s t i a n

Zulu always had been wi th regard t o h i s a n c e s t o r s . J e sus cannot be

involved i n t h e Zulu s i t u a t i o n - n o t on ly does he belong t o ano ther

people but a l s o t o another e ra . This i s why the confession of f a i t h a s

s t a t e d by Shembe I i n Isl. 73 and Isl. 154 t o t a l l y excludes Jesus.

Shembe I and Shembe I1 a r e the escha to logica l kings who formed a s p e c i a l

l i n k wi th t h e supernatural world and had s p e c i a l d iv ina t ion q u a l i t i e s .

Shembe I has r e s to red the sabbath (Saturday) a s t h e holy day and through

it he wished t o r e s t o r e h i s people r e l i g i o u s l y and p o l i t i c a l l y . Messianism

is i n the Bible inseparably l inked with Jesus C h r i s t while i n The Church

of the Nazarites i t i s inseparably l inked with the Shembes. The cornerstone

of t h i s Church i s Shembe I, and Shembe I1 shared i n h i s charisma.

Here i s a Church with a J u d a i s t i c (Sabbath and Law) and Zulu r e l i g i o u s

emphasis from which a messianic r e l i g i o n developed. The followers a r e

the "elect" with Ekuphakameni a s t h e i r new Jerusalem. Shembe I and I1

a r e more than mere r e f l e c t i o n s of ~Mvelingqangi (God). They have a sha re

i n h i s being but a r e not Him. Shembe 11's d e l i b e r a t e use of t h e word

Lord (iNkosi) when he b lesses and hea ls the people, s t rengthens t h e i r

convict ion t h a t t h i s i s done i n the name of h i s f a the r . Shembe i s a

tertim quid , n o t f u l l y God, n e i t h e r f u l l y man. H i s followers a r e a

te r t iwn genturn, a t h i r d race.

To f i n d the r i g h t successor f o r such a church implies considerat ions

t h a t go f a r beyond those appl ied i n o the r churches. The procedure

with regard t o the e l e c t i o n of such a l eade r w i l l be d i f f e r e n t from

the ordinary democratic procedure. The core of the leadersh ip s t r u g g l e

i n The Church of the Nazar i tes i s t c be found i n the d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n

with the char ismat ic a b i l i t i e s of the two persons who con tes t t h i s

leadersh ip . Furthermore, t o s t e p i n t o the shoes of a man such a s

Shembe I1 who himself had i n i t i a l l y some problems i n obta in ing t h e

respect h i s f a t h e r had, i s not a t a l l easy. They f u l f i l l e d the

expectat ions of t h e i r f lock because of t h e i r s t rong and devout

p e r s o n a l i t i e s . It w i l l be d i f f i c u l t t o f i n d a person who w i l l f u l l y

s a t i s f y the members of t h i s Church.

A new e r a has commenced i n t h i s Church. The l eade r w i l l now merely be

a l eade r whose a u t h o r i t y w i l l n o t be based on h i s own char ismat ic and

supernatural q u a l i t i e s but merely on h i s a b i l i t y t o mediate between the

Church and the "great f a t h e r s of h i s church namely I s i a h and Johannes

Galilee Shembe. The organisational structure of the Church will

gradually be lifted from the sacral and become more secularised and

eventually more democratic. A£rican traditional approach will

gradually make way for the ecclesiastical traditional approach.

FOR FURTHER READING ON THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARITES DEBATE.

Becken, H.J., "Ekuphakameni Revisited" , Journal o f Re Zigion i n Africa, Vol IX No 3, 1978.

Martin, M.L., The Biblical concept o f Messianism and M e s s i d s m

i n Southern Africa, Mori ja (Lesotho) , 1964.

Oosthuizen, G.C., "Isiah Shembe and the Zulu world view" in Histow

of Religions, Vol 8, No 1, Aug. 1968, pp. 1 - 30.

Oosthuizen, G.C., Post Christianity i n Africa : A theological and

anthropological study, London, C. Hurs t and Co . , 1968.

Oosthuizen, G.C., The theology of a South African Messiah, ~eiden/

Cologne, Brill, 1967, 1976~.

Schlosser, K., Eiv.geborenenkirchen i n Siid - und Siidwestafrika.

Ilzre Geschichte und Sozials tm~ktur , Kiel , Mchlau, 1958.

Sundkler, B.G.M., Bantu Prophets i n South Africa, London/New ~ork/ 1 2 Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1948 , 1961 .

Sundkler, B. G.M., "Propheten" in Die Religion i m Geschichte

uncZ Gegenwart, ~Gbingen, Mohr , 196 1 , 6 1 1 - 3.

Sundkler, B.G.M., ZuZzi Zion and some Swazi Zionists, Oxford

University Press, 1976.

Vilakazi, A., Isonto Lmanazarethu : The Church of the

Nazarites, Connecticut, Hartford Seminary

Foundation, 1954, Unpublished dissertation.