Shembe religion's integration of African Traditional Religion and Christianity

168 Pages·2014·4.98 MB·English

Shembe religion’s integration of African Traditional Religion and
Christianity: A sociological case study

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Arts
of
Rhodes University

by
Nombulelo Shange

Supervisor: Michael Drewett
Department of Sociology

July 2013
Abstract
The Shembe Church‟s integration of African Traditional Religion and Christianity has been
met by many challenges. This merger has been rejected by both African traditionalists and
Christians. The Shembe Church has been met by intolerance even though the movement in
some ways creates multiculturalism between different people and cultures.
This thesis documents the Shembe Church‟s ideas and practices; it discusses how the Shembe
Church combines two ideologies that appear to be at odds with each other. In looking at
Shembe ideas and practices, the thesis discusses African religion-inspired rituals like ukusina,
ancestral honouring, animal sacrificing and virgin testing. The thesis also discusses the heavy
Christian influence within the Shembe Church; this is done by looking at the Shembe
Church‟s use of The Bible and Moses‟ Laws which play a crucial role in the Church. The
challenges the Shembe Church faces are another main theme of the thesis. The thesis looks at
cases of intolerance and human rights violations experienced by Shembe members. This is
done in part by looking at the living conditions at eBuhleni, located at Inanda, KZN. The
thesis also analyses individual Shembe member‟s experiences and discusses how some
members of the Shembe church experience the acceptance of the Shembe religion in South
African society. This thesis concludes by trying to make a distinction between intolerance
and controversy. I try to highlight the idea that what many Shembe followers see as
discrimination and intolerance towards them is sometimes a difference in opinion from other
cultural groups. Sometimes these differences are not geared towards criticising other religious
groups or perpetuating intolerance.

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Acknowledgements
I would firstly like to thank my supervisor Michael Drewett, for his support, assistance and
for being a great cheerleader. Thank you for constantly reminding me that I can do this, even
when I thought I could not. I would also like to thank the friendliest and best department at
Rhodes University. I would not have managed without the constant support and guidance
from the Department of Sociology; thank you Prof Helliker, Mrs Fuller, Ms Madinda and to
the post graduate students.
To my friends Qondile, Sisa, Tumi, Ashley and Charmaine, thank you for the love and
support during the craziest two years of my life. Thank you for all the laughs, listening to all
my crazy stories and keeping me sane.
Thank you to all the people who played a key role while I conducted my research. Thank you
to my host family, Mr Mthembu, all my participants who opened up and shared their
experiences and stories with me without expecting anything in return. Thank to Bab‟Ngidi,
Bab‟Mpanza, Chief Vukile Shembe, Mr Ndlovu and Paul Weinberg for sharing their deep
knowledge on the Shembe Church. Thank you to Mrs Rasaroka for introducing me to African
text and ideas which proved to be very useful. Thank you to the CRL commission and
CoGTA and their representitatives Dr Ralarala and Dr Sibanda.
Finally I would like to thank my family for all the love and sacrifices that were made; none of
this would have been possible without you guys. Thank you MaKutu, MaKhumbu, MaBongi,
Sbu, Zee and Pinky. I would also like to acknowledge and thank my ancestors and the
universe.

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List of Abbreviations
 AIC: African Independent Churches.
 ATR: African Traditional Religion.
 KZN: KwaZulu-Natal.

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Glossary
African Zionist: African churches organized around common ethnicity and culture.
Amadlozi: Ancestors.
EBuhleni: Inanda Shembe Village where the annual July and September gatherings take
place.
EkuPhakameni: Inanda Shembe Village where the annual July and September gatherings take
place.
Emsamo/ umsamo: Centre of the house, place communication with ancestors occurs.
Ethiopianist: African churches organized predominately around race, but include various
cultures and ethnicities.
IBandla lamaNazaretha: Nazareth Baptist Church.
Imbongi: Poet who performs and composes praise calling/poems for Zulu kings and leaders
such as Isaiah Shembe.
Impepho: African herb/plant burnt when awakening/communicating with the ancestors.
Inhlonipho: Respect.
Insimbi (bell): A morning and evening Shembe ritual/prayer performed to protect members.
Isiguqo (kneel): Shembe prayer performed during times of hardship.
Izibongo: Surnames or praise callings. A Zulu oral tradition that documents family orgins,
history and relatives.
Izihlabelelo ZamaNazareth: Nazareth hymn book.
Iziphandla/isiphandla: Animal skin usually worn around the wrist, often worn for protection
or after a rite of passage e.g.: death, birth and marriage.
Mt uNhlangakazi: Sacred Shembe site where the annual January pilgrimage takes place.
Mvelinqangi (first to appear): God
Nkosi: King or chief.
Nkulunkulu (great one): God
Nomkhubulwane: Purity and fertility Goddess and believed to be daughter of God.
Onyaweni (foot): Sacred praying area, believed to have Isaiah Shembe‟s footprint on it.
Sangoma: Diviner.
Ubuntu: African social philosophy that promotes humanity, harmony and unity.
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Ukugagu: A traditional Zulu practice, done as a sign of respect. It is to kneel and look away
in the presence of a chief or king. This practice was adopted by the Shembe Church; it is
what followers do when they are in the presence of a Shembe chief or priest.
Ukusina/umgidi: Traditional Zulu dance.
Ukuthwasa: Brooding or the process one goes through in order to become a sangoma/diviner.
Umfundisi: Priest.
Umkhokheli: A person in the Shembe Church who offers members spiritual guidance.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1. Context of research ....................................................................................................... 11
1.2. Thesis outline ............................................................................................................... 15
Chapter 2: Culture and Religion: A theoretical framework
2.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 18
2.2. Making sense of culture ................................................................................................ 19
2.2.1. Bourdieu‟s contested fields ........................................................................................ 20
2.2.2. Habitus ...................................................................................................................... 23
2.3. Religion as culture defined ........................................................................................... 25
2.4. Critiquing Western religion .......................................................................................... 27
2.4.1. Fanon and Biko: Religion, colonialism and African consciousness ............................ 28
2.5. Conclusion and critiques .............................................................................................. 34
Chapter 3: Historical background
3.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 36
3.1.1. African Independent Churches ................................................................................... 36
3.2. Shembe History ............................................................................................................ 38
3.3. Shembe ideology and practice ...................................................................................... 46
3.3.1. Izibongo and the undocumented role of women in the Shembe Church………………48
3.4. Struggles within the Shembe Church ............................................................................ 52
3.5. Critiquing Shembe polygamy practice .......................................................................... 55
3.6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 56
Chapter 4: Methodology
4.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 57
4.1.1. Qualitative Research .................................................................................................. 57
4.1.2. Data Collection methods ............................................................................................ 63
4.1.3. Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................... 64
4.2. Entering the field and challenges faced ......................................................................... 64
4.3. CRL and CoGTA ......................................................................................................... 69
4.4. Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 69
Chapter 5: Life at eBuhleni
5.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 70
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5.2. Daily rituals and routine ............................................................................................... 70
5.3. Living conditions ......................................................................................................... 83
Chapter 6: African Traditional religion and the Shembe Church: differences and
similarities
6.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 87
6.2. Shembe and African Traditional Religion ..................................................................... 88
6.3. Communicating with God through mediators................................................................ 95
6.4. Shembe rituals: practices that please God and the ancestors ........................................ 103
6.4.1. Virginity testing....................................................................................................... 103
6.4.1.1. Solution and recommendations ............................................................................. 107
6.4.2. Praise performances................................................................................................. 108
6.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 118
Chapter 7: Christianity and the Shembe Church
7.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 120
7.2. African Independent Churches.................................................................................... 120
7.3. Similarities between the Shembe Church and Christianity .......................................... 121
7.4. Differences between the Shembe Church and Christianity .......................................... 124
7.4.1. Animal sacrifice ...................................................................................................... 124
7.4.2. Holy grounds ........................................................................................................... 127
7.4.3. Moses‟ laws............................................................................................................. 128
7.4.4. Laws of Numbers .................................................................................................... 130
7.5. “Why I chose Shembe”: people‟s testimonies and the move towards ATR ................. 133
7.6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 138
Chapter 8: Shembe Challenges: Cases of intolerance or controversies
8.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 140
8.2. Intolerance towards the Shembe Church ..................................................................... 141
8.3. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 154
Chapter 9: Conclusion .................................................................................................... 155
References........................................................................................................................ 158

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List of Photos
Figure 1. Map of Inanda…………………………………………………………………………………
Figure 5.2.1. The early morning daily clean up. Shembe members collect and burn the litter they
collect in the eBuhleni grounds…………………...…………..………………………….………………
Figure 5.2.2. Shembe members praying outside Mduduzi Shembe‟s house…….…………………....…
Figure 5.2.3.People returning from Vimbeni Shembe‟s house where they clean up and have a church
service afterwards. Vimbeni Shembe‟s house is the big green and white house in the
distance……...............................................................................................................................................
.Figure 5.2.4. Shembe member praying and placing coins Onyaweni……………………………….…..
Figure 5.2.5. A priest and a female elder talk on the side of the road, close to the market area……..….
Figure 5.2.6. People bring offerings in the form of hay for building…………………………………...
Figure 5.2.7. Non-Shembe members lined up, waiting their turn to pray and give offerings…………..
Figure 5.2.8. Like most Shembe ceremonies and rituals, this one is accompanied by music and
performance…………………………………………………..………………………….……………....
Figure 5.2.9. People wait to have their food, water and oil blessed by priests…………………………
Figure 5.2.10. People gathered outside Mduduzi Shembe‟s house……………………………………
Figure 5.2.11. Mduduzi Shembe addresses the cheering people………………………………………
Figure 5.2.12. One of the many stalls selling traditional clothes, most of which are worn during the
Sunday “umgidi”…………………………………………………………………………………...……
Figure 5.2.13. Traders making cowhide skirts worn by female elders during the Sunday “umgidi”……
Figure 5.2.14.Small building inside the temple that is close to Mduduzi Shembe‟s house. This is
where Mduduzi Shembe and some of his predecessors typically sit during church services……………
Figure 5.2.15. Young girls lined up outside the temple, ready to perform one of the weekday dancing
rituals……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Figure 5.2.16. Sacred statue of Isaiah Shembe…………………………………………………………..
Figure 5.2.17. Shembe children dressed and ready to go to the evening prayer, known as “insimbi”…..
Figure 5.2.18. Saturday morning church service………………………………………………………...
Figure 5.2.19. Shembe members relax before the 13:00 service………………………………………..
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Figure 5.3.1. Some of the informal houses one might expect to find at eBuhleni………………………
Figure 5.3.2. My home during my stay at eBuhleni…………………………………………………….
Figure 5.3.3. Nun‟s housing…………………………………………………………………………….
Figure 5.3.4. Young girls carrying buckets filled with water……………………………………………
Figure 5.3.5. Pollution at eBuhleni………………………………………………………………………
Figure 6.4.2. Young Shembe girls wearing their daily Shembe attire…………………………………
Figure 6.4.3. Young girls burn dirt during a daily clean up of eBuhleni. The girl on the far left wears
“iBhayi” under her “umNazaretha”……………………………………………………………….…….
Figure 6.4.4. Young Shembe girls returning from one of the weekday dance rituals during the July
festival……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Figure 6.4.5. „Iskotch‟ for girls on the left and for boys on the right……………………………………
Figure 6.4.6. Young virgin girls during one of the weekday July rituals, where they dance and sing…..
Figure 6.4.7. Indian inspired Shembe outfit……………………………………………………………..
Figure 6.4.8. Young male members also wear a similar black and white uniform……….…………….
Figure 6.4.9. Traditional Zulu inspired attire for young girls…………………………………..……….
Figure 6.4.10.1. Female elder wearing her Zulu inspired dancing attire……………………………….
Figure 6.4.10.2. Dancing female elders………………………………………………….………………
Figure 6.4.10.3. Dancing boys and men…………………………………………………………………
Figure 6.4.10.4. Young boys dance wearing their „iskotch‟ attire………………………………………
Figure 6.4.10.5. Dancing young boys at the Sunday „umgidi‟ at eBuhleni……………………………..
Figure 7.4.2. Shembe followers eBuhleni walking barefoot as they go about their daily lives………….
Figure 7.4.4.1. Shembe men often grow their hair and beard long………………………………………
Figure 7.4.4.2. Women also grow their hair but often wear head scarves or weave into hat-like
structures...................................................................................................................................................
Figure 7.4.4.3. Married or elderly women cover their heads as a sign of respect; this is a common
practice in most African cultures in South Africa……………………………………………………….
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