Zion Christian Churches Churches Liturgy Prophets Services Members

© 2023 Dr Margaret Sheppard

This is a branch of a church which was started by Mr. J.J. Mosididi Dlamini at Klerksdorp in South Africa in 1959. The present Bishop in Kanye who is called Left-Right, became a member in 1959 following a bad mines accident in South Africa. He had been trapped under rocks and had ended up having to have a leg amputated below the knee. Before this time, he told me, he had been a "wild young man", drinking, gambling, stabbing and attending gumba-gumba parties. He had also been using traditional doctors for protection in the mines but he felt they had failed him, and so he had decided to join this church. He became a Moruti and had started having the gifts of healing and prophecy in 1968. In 1972 he had introduced this church into Botswana. At first it met in a rondavel in the yard of another Moruti, but in 1980 he built his own house and the church started to meet there.

The services of this church are not very regular, and there seemed to be a relatively small membership. He told me there were 71 in Kanye, but that there are other branches in Botswana with a total membership of about 350 members (he did not know how many in South Africa). The Bishop spends quite a lot of his time travelling to the other branches, which are mostly in Southern District. The Church organization and services follow the same pattern as the above four churches. The uniform is basically blue and white. This is also a church which believes in sacrifice.

Africa Apostolic Church in Zion of Africa - Africa

Bishop Left-Right (on right) is the only member who wears shoes. Beside him is another Prophet. Both hold their prophecy poles

Baruti (Priests and members inside the church - a thatched rondavel- during a sevice

Bishop Left-Right during a service. N.B. some of the members are wearing specially prophesied additions to their church uniforms

The Khosa (Door keeper}. One of this duties is to ensure no entry during prayers.

Members - women are placed together. Some are wearing the specially prophesied protective additions to basic uniforms.