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Thousands descend on Moria as ZCC gathering puts Limpopo roads under pressure
Thousands of Zion Christian Church (ZCC) worshippers are making their way to Moria in Limpopo, with authorities warning motorists to brace for significant congestion as one of the province’s biggest religious gatherings gets under way.
More than 4,000 buses from across South Africa are expected to travel towards the church’s headquarters this weekend, while midi-buses and minibuses from Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia are also expected to swell traffic volumes.
The annual concentration, led by ZCC Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, runs from Friday to Sunday and is expected to reach its climax on Sunday when Lekganyane leads the main church service.
The sheer number of people travelling to Moria has once again placed transport and road safety at the centre of preparations.
A massive movement of worshippers
Limpopo’s Department of Transport and Community Safety has warned that traffic will be particularly heavy on routes leading into Moria and during the return journey on Sunday afternoon.
Buses are expected to begin moving towards the area after 11pm on Friday, with traffic flowing from several directions.
These include the N1 northbound from Gauteng and southbound from Musina and Makhado, as well as routes from Groblersbridge and Beitbridge towards Polokwane.
The R37, D4040 and the N1 bypass towards the R71 are also expected to experience increased traffic.
The department has urged motorists to be patient, avoid speeding, make sure their vehicles are roadworthy and follow instructions from traffic officials.
Provincial traffic officers will be deployed along major routes to help manage the movement of vehicles and pilgrims.
The numbers show just how big Moria has become
The scale of this weekend’s operation follows a major transport mobilisation earlier this year when more than 550 Putco buses were deployed to transport ZCC members to Moria for the Easter pilgrimage.
At the time, Putco said about 95% of those buses had entered Limpopo, with roughly 60% having reached Moria.
The company also positioned spare buses and mechanical teams along the routes to respond to breakdowns, while drivers were required to take compulsory stops to manage fatigue and reduce the risk of road accidents.
The latest figures suggest that the movement of worshippers for the current gathering will be considerably broader, with thousands of buses expected from around the country and neighbouring states.
Moria becomes a sea of worshippers
For the ZCC, Moria is far more than simply the location of its headquarters.
The Limpopo site has become an important spiritual destination for the church’s followers, who travel long distances to participate in major gatherings, worship together and hear from the church leadership.
The annual concentration also draws prominent figures beyond the church.
According to the provincial authorities, political party leaders, senior traditional leaders and business figures are expected to attend Sunday’s proceedings alongside Bishop Lekganyane.
That combination of religious, traditional, political and business figures further increases the importance of the gathering and the pressure on authorities to ensure that the event runs safely.
Police and traffic officials prepare for the influx
With such a large number of vehicles expected on Limpopo’s roads, road safety remains a major concern.
Authorities are preparing for traffic volumes to increase from Friday night, with the return journey expected to create another major surge on Sunday afternoon.
Officials have appealed to drivers to exercise patience, particularly when sharing the roads with buses and other vehicles transporting worshippers.
The earlier Easter operation demonstrated the level of logistical planning required when thousands of ZCC members travel to Moria, including additional vehicles, roadside mechanical support and measures aimed at preventing driver fatigue.
This weekend, the challenge is once again to keep the enormous flow of pilgrims moving while ensuring that worshippers and other road users reach their destinations safely.
Economy
Moshe, Linda, Lasizwe and LeJoy among 24 celebs serving up drama on Come Dine With Me
South Africa’s favourite dinner party competition is getting a celebrity makeover, with 24 familiar faces set to swap red carpets and studios for their kitchens when Celebrity Come Dine With Me South Africa premieres later this year.
The first-ever celebrity edition of Come Dine With Me South Africa is set to hit BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) on 18 November, bringing together some of the country’s biggest personalities for six weeks of food, competition, chaos and plenty of entertainment.
Now in its 11th season, the popular dinner party series is taking its biggest twist yet by putting celebrities in charge of the menus as they open their homes and attempt to prove they are the ultimate host.
Among those taking part are television personality Moshe Ndiki, actress Linda Mtoba, digital entertainer Lasizwe and broadcaster Lethabo “LeJoy” Mathatho.
They will be joined by a diverse cast including Alphi Mkhwanazi, Brent Lindeque, Carol Tshabalala, Holly Rey, Jonathan Roxmouth, Karabo Ntshweng, Karabo Poppy, Mampho Brescia, Mojak Lehoko, Moonchild Sanelly, Nianell, Olwethu Leshabane, Phylicity Reeken, Primo Baloyi, Tarina Patel, Tumisho Masha, Vanes-Mari du Toit, Varushka Singh, Yanda Woods and Zandi Nhlapo.
Celebrities put their hosting skills to the test
Unlike the usual celebrity appearances where personalities are firmly in control of their public image, the dinner table could prove to be a much tougher stage.
Each celebrity will host dinner for fellow contestants, with the guests judging everything from the food and entertainment to the overall experience.
The stakes are also higher than simply winning bragging rights, with R10,000 up for grabs for charity.
Across the season, audiences can expect ambitious menus, extravagant themes, culinary successes and spectacular kitchen failures as the personalities compete to impress one another.
And while they may be used to being in front of cameras, celebrity status will not necessarily help them when it comes to earning points around the dinner table.
Lasizwe, Moshe and Linda among the celebrity hosts
The casting brings together personalities from television, radio, music, sport, digital entertainment and the creative industries.
Lasizwe is expected to bring his trademark personality and humour to the competition, while Moshe Ndiki enters the dinner-party arena with his experience as a television personality.
Actress Linda Mtoba will also open her home to the cameras, while LeJoy Mathatho will swap her broadcasting duties for the challenge of creating a memorable evening for her fellow celebrities.
Musician Moonchild Sanelly, singer Holly Rey, actor Tumisho Masha, musical theatre star Jonathan Roxmouth and former Proteas netball player Vanes-Mari du Toit are also among the personalities competing.
Dave Lamb returns to serve up the commentary
Adding another layer of entertainment will be the return of legendary narrator Dave Lamb, whose dry humour and brutally honest observations have become synonymous with the Come Dine With Me franchise.
His commentary is likely to provide a running commentary on the personalities, their cooking abilities and whatever happens once the dinner parties begin.
With reputations on the line, even the smallest hosting mistake could become television gold.
Pierre Cloete, Vice President for Africa at BBC Studios, said the celebrity edition would give viewers an opportunity to see a different side of some of South Africa’s best-known personalities.
“Come Dine With Me South Africa remains one of BBC Lifestyle’s most-loved local productions and this season promises to be our biggest yet,” he said.
“This celebrity series brings together an incredible mix of South African personalities and places them in a situation they can’t completely control. Audiences will see them at their funniest, most competitive and, in some cases, most chaotic.”
‘The pressure is higher than ever’
The series is produced by Rapid Blue, with Executive Producer Ryan Deacon saying the celebrity format has created even more pressure around the dinner table.
“We are incredibly proud to be producing the 11th season of Come Dine with Me South Africa for BBC Lifestyle,” Deacon said.
“With three celebrity guests arriving at each dinner party, the pressure is higher than ever, and our celebrity hosts quickly discover that creating the perfect evening is no easy feat.”
He added that viewers could expect “creative rule-bending”, attempts to gain an advantage, spectacular hosting and the occasional disaster.
In other words, the familiar ingredients that have made Come Dine With Me a television favourite remain firmly on the menu.
A new chapter for a long-running favourite
The celebrity series marks a significant new chapter for the South African version of the format, which has been entertaining audiences for more than a decade.
This time, viewers will get to see how personalities who are accustomed to public scrutiny behave when they are judged not on their careers or celebrity status, but on their ability to cook, entertain and host.
And with Dave Lamb ready to deliver his signature commentary, the competition could prove to be just as entertaining for those watching from home as it is for those sitting around the dinner table.
Celebrity Come Dine With Me South Africa premieres on BBC Lifestyle (DStv Channel 174) on 18 November 2026.
The series is sponsored by World of Sports Betting and is in association with Sunlight.
