There's a church in almost every area in South Africa. From the more traditional Anglican, Roman Catholics, Seventh Day, Zion, Methodist or Dutch Reformed to the more dynamic-worship churches, South Africans are serious about their faith.
Every Sunday, with their beautifully starched uniforms and hymns books, the traditional churches represent a long heritage that dates back decades.
A new SABC show is exploring when these churches first came to the country and how they were not only spread around the different provinces, but also the entire SADC region.
Ichibi Lendumiso, on SABC 2 on Sundays at 9am, is hosted by Umhlobo Wenene’s Nomonde Vakalisa.
Nomonde (45), took over the coveted the ladies' ministry slot on Thursdays from 9am-12pm, which was previously held by Nomthunzi “Mama Ka Ma-Asie” Vuza.
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Now Nomonde is transitioning from radio to TV, and she says it was not easy, but it was a great learning curve.
“I am real amateur, radio is so different. On TV you get told when to speak, how to speak, how to sit, how to use your hands. And I get it, because the audience will see a package, whereas on radio, you just speak and that’s that.
“I really appreciate the crew, because they really helped me relax, they would even tell me if my shoulders looked too high, so they were paying attention even to those details. I appreciate this part of my journey and how Ntokozo (Mbuli) gave me this opportunity. I credit 70% of my radio success for Reverend (Mzukisi) Faleni because he trained me, so I will never forget this opportunity.”
The Sugar Bean Pictures show is produced Ntokozo Mbuli.
Nomonde is a pastor at the Thy Will Ministries International Church in Gqeberha and she says there is so much to learn from this show.
“The charismatic and Pentecostal churches all come from the main line churches. I see the prosperity, healing and deliverance messages from those churches, but the origin is the main line churches.
“It is through this show that I have I learned that John Wesley was never methodist. In fact, he was Anglican and every now and again he would have methodism revivals and he would go back to his Anglican church. And he died an Anglican, he was never methodist. They just started the church based on his teachings.”
They shot in different locations around the country, from Gcuwa to Kathlehong, speaking to different religious leaders for them to explain how their specific church came to South Africa.
“The last time I checked, statistics said 84% of South Africans are Christian. Yet it is the most divided group. There are so many denominations. We all say we serve one God, but our doctrines and teachings are different. Why can’t we all just come together? We even share the same hymns, read the same Bible, the only difference is the interpretation,” she says.
Nomonde says there are too many charismatic churches to choose from.
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The mother of one says the upside of doing this show, is that her Umhlobo Wenene listeners will not get to put a face to the voice they have come to love.
The show is not only about the Sunday service, but about all practices within each particular faith and the belief systems that govern the practices.
Talking about the Methodist Church, SABC’s Caroline Phalakatshela says the Ichibi Lendumiso team travelled for a fuller understanding of the 18th-century movement founded by John Wesley, called Methodism
“There are more that 40 million Methodists in 138 countries, but we will uncover South Africa’s unique story of Methodism. The purpose of the women’s manyano, the origins of the slogan ‘One Heart, One Way’, and how the ever-popular Amadodana Wase Wesile came about.
“We (also) follow the journey of Roman Catholicism in South Africa and discover why Mary, mother of Jesus is so revered, what the seven sacraments are and most importantly, what the South African Roman Catholics inherited from Rome, and what they made their own.”
