An Anthropological Study of Healing Practices in African Initiated Churches with Specific Reference to a Zionist Christian Church in Marabastad
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AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY OF HEALING PRACTICES IN AFRICAN INITIATED CHURCHES WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO A ZIONIST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MARABASTAD by JACQUELINE MARTHA FRANCISCA (JACKEY) WOUTERS submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the subject ANTHROPOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA Supervisor: Professor CJ Van Vuuren September 2014 Student number: 0900-207-3 I declare that AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY OF HEALING PRACTICES IN AFRICAN INITIATED CHURCHES WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO A ZIONIST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MARABASTAD is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. I further declare that I have not previously submitted this work, or part of it, for examination at Unisa for another qualification or at any other higher education institution. …………….. …………….. SIGNATURE DATE i I dedicate this study to my parents and sister, Jack, Martha and Irma Wouters, who have always been there for me. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to respectfully and deeply thank the members of the Zion Christian Church for allowing me into their sacred environment and for opening up a whole new world to me. This exhilarating experience enabled remarkable personal growth. They helped me understand how the Zion Christian Church contributed towards people’s quest for absolute health, which in an African context encompasses physical, social, spiritual and secular levels. Their assistance and that of my interpreters was pivotal in compiling this study that aims to enlighten readers on the workings of the church’s successful healing ministry from an anthropological perspective. I want to acknowledge the assistance of my supervisor Professor Chris van Vuuren for his invaluable guidance and support over the years and the University of South Africa who subsidised my tuition fees and granted me research leave. I would also like to thank my collegues, many of them friends, who have guided and assisted me emotionally and intellectually throughout this academic process. Last, but by no means least, I would like to express gratitude to my family and friends who each assisted me in their own unique way, for their belief in me and for their unwavering support. iii ABSTRACT This study encompasses an anthropological investigation of healing practices in the Zion Christian Church with reference to the Marabastad congregation in Pretoria (Tshwane), South Africa. The Zion Christian Church functions as an extremely successful healing ministry, and can thus be characterised as a spirit-type African Initiated Church, a type known to attract members through healing activities. The concepts of ill-health, health, healing and curing are crucial to understanding the church’s role, as all activities at the Zion Christian Church revolve around the attainment of absolute health. The embedded nature of healing in the church is explored through an analysis of the spatial and material aspects of the church’s healing practices, including codes of conduct, roles of participants, religious services, and intangible and tangible instruments of healing. The study is further contextualised against the broader history of the emergence and growth of African Initiated Churches from the late 19th century onwards. KEYWORDS AND PHRASES African Initiated Churches, Zion Christian Church (ZCC), history of the ZCC, health in an anthropological perspective, healing activities, ZCC services, preachers (baruti), prophets (baprôfeta), instruments of healing, notions of causes of illness. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AFM: Apostolic Faith Mission AIC: African Initiated Church AME: African Methodist Episcopal Church CCAC in Zion: Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion CCAHS in Zion: Christian Catholic Apostolic Holy Spirit Church in Zion ZAC: Zion Apostolic Church ZAFM: Zion Apostolic Faith Mission ZCC: Zion Christian Church v GLOSSARY AmaZiyoni: This is a Sotho word for Zionists. Ba kalafo: A Pedi concept of the congregation of the Zionist Christian Church of Joseph Lekganyane as a “people of healing”. Badimo: The Pedi word for ancestor spirits. Baprôfeta: The Pedi word for prophets. Baruti: The plural form of moruti (priest). See moruti for more information. Basione: The Tshidi in the former Mafekening district use this word when they refer to Zionists. Bonkedi: (Also referred to as nkedi) A Zion Christian Church dance formation for males only. The participants in this dance are characterised by Scottish-looking attire and are mostly younger men who perform in smaller groups than those groups characteristic to the mokhukhu formation. Dihlare: A Sotho name for the medicines of a tradional healthcare practitioner. Dikereke tša molau: This is a Sotho phrase that refers to Churches of the law (Ethiopian-type African Initiated Churches). Dikereke tša Moya: This is a Sotho phrase that refers to Churches of the Spirit (Zionist-type African Initiated Churches). Dikidišwa: The Pedi word for taboo. Dingaka: A Pedi name for a tradional healthcare practitioner known as a diviner. Ditaelo: The direct translation of the Pedi word ditaelo is commandments. Within the Zion Christian Church context the word refers to the prescriptions a person receives from a prophet during a prophesying session. The prophet receives prescriptions from the Holy Spirit and sometimes from ancestor spirits. Most members use the terms “prescriptions” and sometimes “instructions” as a direct translation of ditaelo. Dithutô: The Northern Sotho word referring to the sharing of teachings or lessons. Ditšhila: The Pedi word for dirt, but it implies ritual impurity (Mönnig 1983: 66). vi Fiša: A Sotho word referring to a state of hotness or heat. Go aramela: Prophets use this Sotho word to refer to the process of preparing stones for prescription/ditaelo purposes. House of the kgôši: This is a guesthouse at Moria, which is used to accommodate kings and other royalty, chiefs, high government officials and sometimes white guests. Igqira: A Xhosa word referring to a tradional healthcare practitioner known as a diviner. Impundulu: A Xhosa name for the lightning bird known to assist witches in their evil deeds and therefore referred to in anthropology as a familiar. Inkatha: Inkatha refers to a political party in South Africa, the Inkatha Freedom Party, and is also a Zulu word referring to a sturdily woven, circular-shaped grass coil used to carry heavy objects on the head. Inyanga (plural: izinyangas): A Zulu name for a tradional healthcare practitioner known as an herbalist. Isangoma: This is one of the names Xhosa-speakers and Zulu-speakers use to refer to a tradional healthcare practitioner known as a diviner. Isifo: Traditionally in Zulu this word covered the three concepts of bodily illness, misfortune, and vulnerability to illness and misfortune. Ixhwele: A Xhosa name referring to a tradional healthcare practitioner known as an herbalist. Kalafo: The Pedi word for magical ritual cleansing. Kgomo: A Pedi word referring to a head of cattle or great ox. Kgôrô: This Northern Sotho word is sometimes used to refer to the sebêšô (see explanation further down). It is also sometimes used to refer to a Zion Christian Church court or meeting place. Occasionally members of the Zion Christina Church use the Afrikaans word kraal to refer to the kgôrô or sebêšô. Kgôši: The Northern Sotho word for king. Kgoši ya Masione: The Pedi phrase meaning “King of the Zionists”. vii Kgothatšô: The Northern Sotho term meaning “to comfort”, a term used to refer to the kind of homilies that are delivered in the Zion Christian Church. Khutane: The Northern Sotho word for “hidden”. In a Zion Christian Church context it refers to the little blue cloth that is usually placed between the black and green cloth on which the church’s badge is attached. MaKereke oMweya: A Shona phrase that translates as Churches of the Spirit Makgoma: A Pedi term meaning an illness resulting from contact with a ritually polluted/impure person. Makgoma is derived from the word go kgoma, which means to touch. Manyanyatha: The characteristic white boots of men who participate in the mokhukhu are known as manyanyatha (Sotho term). Mệệtse a thapệlộ: In Northern Sotho this phrase refers to water from a natural source such as a fountain that is blessed by prayer. Metswalle: The direct translation of the Pedi word metswalle is relatives. Modimo: Sotho- (including the Pedi-speakers) and Tswana-speakers refer to God as Modimo. Mogau: Mogau is the Northern Sotho name of the blessed pieces of paper used in healing activities. It can therefore be described as an instrument of healing. Mogau can be translated as “mercy”. Mokhukhu (The plural of mokhukhu is mekhukhu): This word is a Pedi homonym of the word “shack” and originated during the time when Edward Lekganyane seceded from his brother Joseph’s Zion Christian Church (Anderson 2000: 173). The term mokhukhu refers to the characteristic church dance performed by male members. This male formation is well known for their extremely powerful rhythmic dancing and singing activities. Most male members, at one time or another, participate in the mokhukhu. All participants are characterised by their distinctive khaki uniforms, white boots and black caps to which the church emblem is attached. Molato: The Northern Sotho word implying a very big mistake. Mopedi: A Pedi word for porcupine, traditionally perceived to be their totem animal. viii Moruti: The direct translation of the Northern Sotho word moruti is preacher. In the Zion Christian Church ZCC Messenger, a copy of the homily that Bishop Lekganyane (2001:6–8) presented at the September gathering at Zion City Moria a moruti is referred to as a priest. During my research fieldwork members, irrelevant of the language in which they conversed, usually referred to a moruti as a moruti and seldom used the term priest. Motho ke motho ka batho: A proverb used by the Laka of Mapela specifying that “an individual is only a person through other people”.