Valoraciones Hormonales

The most important item of the ZCC attire, described by Comaroff (1985:242) as the ZCC’s “icon of spiritual power”, that “…both represents Lekganyane’s power and embodies it in tangible form” is the ZCC badge with its focal point a five-pointed star (Figure 7: ZCC badge). For that reason, the badge is also sometimes referred to as the star of Lekganyane. I have already given a short description of the ZCC badge in section 2.7.3, but will repeat some of it for the purposes of clarity. The ZCC badge is most easily identified by the silvery five-pointed Star of David on which the letters

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ZCC are engraved. The star is attached to a round piece of black cloth that is again attached to a rectangular piece of green cloth. According to Hanekom (1975:42) a little piece of blue cloth (expanded on further in this chapter) is placed between the black and green cloth, invisible to the eye. Members pin this badge onto their clothes (uniform or personal dress) approximately above their hearts at all times, but especially during their waking hours.

What the ZCC badge represents can be interpreted in many different ways. According to Nchabeleng (1983:11, as cited by Müller 2011:40) the star of the badge symbolises the star referred to in the Bible’s New Testament that “came from the east to show the wise men the place where Jesus was born. Because of this event, the star is believed to show people where salvation can be found, viz. Moria, Zion City”.

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Anderson (2000:298) described the badge as “a token of faithfulness to the church, a symbol of solidarity and unity with ZCC members everywhere”. Wearing the badge enables ZCC members to identify each other as brothers and sisters of the same ZCC family, irrespective of their ethnic affiliation. Mahafha (2002:28), for example, wrote in the ZCC Messenger that members of the ZCC are “one big family” who live under the supervision of God. Accordingly Lukhaimane (1980:81) stated that ZCC members are “brothers and sisters (metswalle)29 in Christ and in the ZCC”.

To mirror how ZCC members feel about their badges some of the sayings of ZCC members were cited by Mosupyoe (1999:106): “[w]hen I see somebody wearing a badge, I feel safe”, “[s]eeing someone wearing a badge like me is like seeing my mother, brother, father or sister – no mistake there” and “[w]earing the badge gives you khotso-peace”. The concept of khotso-peace is also used in the well-known ZCC greeting shared by every ZCC member and by those who attend services regularly. In this context people greet each other by saying khotso, which is answered by saying A e ate, meaning “let it spread”. This phrase is also often uttered by baruti when they initiate and conclude their homilies (see Mosupyoe 1999:108).

Being able to identify each other visibly by means of the badge and keeping in mind that there are literally millions of members spread across southern Africa, members are able to assist each other wherever and whenever they are in need, for example in finding employment, transport, housing, on an accident scene or help against crime (Lukhaimane 1980:81; Mosupyoe 1999:106). I would suggest that the meaning of the ZCC badge in this regard is strongly related to the African humanistic concept of ubuntu (expanded on in section 3.3.1) or a kind of fellowship such as a sister- and brotherhood.

The constant presence of the ZCC badge serves as a reminder to members to comply with the ZCC rules, including the strict taboos such as abstinence from smoking, drinking and eating pork (Anderson 2000:165). By wearing the badge members become recognisable and if they do become tempted will think twice

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Lukhaimane (1980:81) used the word metswallệ to describe the concept of brothers and sisters or relatives. In the Popular Northern Sotho Dictionary (Kriel, Prinsloo & Sathekge 1997:93), however, metswallệ is translated as friends and metswalô as relatives.

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before they disobey one of the church’s rules. As Mosupyoe (1999:106) said, the ZCC badge in a way “serves as disciplinary measure” and “functions as an interdict of bad behaviour”. Although the badge could be easily removed in public, this is believed to not be general procedure.

Mafutu (2010:8) noted that ZCC members are in general known for their “communal and personal purity and integrity”. Easily identifiable by their ZCC badges they are “preferred by many employers who recognise them as hardworking, disciplined, obedient and sober” (see Anderson 1999:1). The general tendency to associate the ZCC badge with people who are trustworthy was also indicated by Lukhaimane (1980:82). Kiernan (1985 97) ascribed these same qualities to the members of the Zionist AICs in Kwazulu-Natal. They, however, are not as easily identifiable as ZCC members because of the absence of a permanent symbol like the ZCC badge, and most probably therefore not as well-known for these qualities.

The ZCC badge is also known for its protective properties (Anderson 2000:298). Lukhaimane (1980:81) explained that at first “the badge was in itself a protective measure against criminals in urban areas”. It was known that members who wore their badges were not easily attacked. It seemed that when Hanekom (1975:03) initiated his research during the 1960s the badge was already known as a symbol of protection against all kinds of misfortune such as illness, bolts of lightning, witchcraft and sorcery. Interestingly enough, his research participants had informed him that the little blue square cloth placed in-between the black and green cloth was believed to contain most of the badge’s protective properties. Lukhaimane (1980:68) also referred to this blue cloth and said that it is known as khutane which means hidden, but added that it can be placed anywhere inside the clothes and serves “to protect individuals from assaults and lightning”.

Lastly, the ZCC badge can also be used as a symbolic object of healing. According to Comaroff (1985:242), if needed, it is placed on an afflicted body part to facilitate healing. A few years ago Famke, the daughter of a couple with whom I have been friends for some time, became extremely feverish. Due to unforeseen circumstances her mother was not able to take her immediately to the clinic. The woman who was employed as their household’s domestic worker was also a member of the ZCC and

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asked if she could pin her ZCC emblem on Famke’s clothes. She explained that she did the same when her children were sick and that this action had healed them quickly time and again. The only prerequisite for a ZCC instrument of healing to work is that a person (member or not) has to believe that ultimately God is responsible for the healing action. Famke’s mother agreed and to her surprise within an hour or so Famke’s body temperature had dropped to normal (see Figure 8: ZCC badge used as a tool of healing on Famke).