Singing and marching down Albert Road like soldiers, members of the St Bernard Mizeki Men’s guild marched to Egazini, the place of blood, in Joza last Saturday morning.
Singing and marching down Albert Road like soldiers, members of the St Bernard Mizeki Men’s guild marched to Egazini, the place of blood, in Joza last Saturday morning.
Egazini is where the Frontier battle of 1819 took place where between 5 000 and 10 000 Xhosa warriors succumbed under a rain of British bullets after the prophet-chief Makana incorrectly predicted their victory.
The guild converged at the site to commemorate the fallen Xhosa warriors, put down a wreath and conduct a joint sermon. Guild President Sizinzo Mhlwatika, Makana Municipality spokesperson Rachel Madinda, reverends, chaplains and members of the guild were all part of the gathering. Mbuleli Mpokela, a tour guide from Makana Municipality addressed the congregation about the history of the chief-prophet, whose real name was Makanda Nxele. He said that people do not respect the Egazini monument which has fallen into a state of disrepair. It was only erected in 2001 and it is falling apart already, the bricks are falling off, the stones have gaps beween them and people from the surrounding area regularly use it as a toilet.
Chaplain Vincent Mdidimba from the Diocese of Port Elizabeth read a scripture from Nehemiah 1:17 urging the people to do something about the state of Egazini. Chaplain Mnyamezeli Masoka added that "The RDP should not only be about the materialistic things. It must also be about reconstructing the soul and mould people’s behaviour." He added that the youth of 1975 were taught to throw stones at any government structure, but now post-1994 that behaviour is no longer acceptable as it is stealing resources away from the community.
