Feder, Inspiring for Liberation – Legitimizing for OccupationWe shall drink at that rock
Of Sinai’s mountain” (Hymn No. 83) (Sundkler 1961:334).The words “slaves” and the phrase “We shall drink at the rock of Sinai’s
mountain” are strongly linked to the Exodus. “Slaves” and “Sinai” are
self-explanatory, and “to drink from a rock” also brings the story of
Moses causing water to flow from the rock (Ex. 17:1-7) to mind.
Sundkler also found other traces of Shembe as Moses which he included
in his book Zulu Zions and some Swazi Zionists. Here he does not follow
the identification of Shembe as Moses, but rather, looks for motifs
within his biography which can be interpreted as hints towards Moses’
life. Sundkler writes:
“It was on a mountain that Shembe as a young man had his first vision.
When he returned from that experience, he did not work for a time. He said
‘I have seen Jehova’. As a Moses, he came to another mountain, inhlanga-
kazi, where he had strange visions. When he returned, he was a ‘different
man’” (Sundkler 1976:314).
Shembe’s experience brings Moses’ encounter with God on Sinai to
mind (cf. Ex. 19). Moreover, the mountain has a special meaning in the
amaNazaretha church until today. Sundkler makes the following com-
parison: “Just as Moses had gone to the Mountain in order to praise
God, so he [Shembe] must go to the Mountain, with his congregation, to
bring praises to God” (Sundkler 1976:167).
It is not difficult to show these parallels, but it is hard to see the inten-
tions behind them. Written texts from the amaNazaretha church show
that Shembe was a kind of liberator. This can also be derived from
Shembe’s biography written by John L. Dube. But how far can this lib-
eration motif be linked with specific political issues?
It must be recognized that Shembe was politically active and that his
fight for land (cf. Heuser 2003:124-127) and his caring for his followers
(cf. Heuser 2003:128-134) are only understandable in relation to his
theology. The Zulu anthropologist Vilakazi summarizes it like this:
“Shembe was both a religious and political leader; for he was concerned
with establishing a new social order among the Zulu people. In this, he
could be compared to Moses of the Old Testament. Perhaps the suggested
parallel with Moses will surprise some people [...]. Shembe, like Moses,
aimed to establish a new social order and one which religious and political
elements would be closely interwoven. [...] He had a clear, divine mission to
liberate his people from servitude in Egypt; and to lead them to the prom-
ised land.” (Vilakazi, Mthethwa, and Mpanza 1986:39-40)