LIMPOPO: While thousands of Zion Christian Church (ZCC) worshippers made their way to Moria on Saturday morning, Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety Nakedi Kekana was already on the road, personally monitoring traffic and road-safety operations.

Kekana braved the freezing early-morning temperatures as she inspected traffic movement along some of the province’s busiest routes, including the N1 and R71, which are carrying thousands of pilgrims travelling to Zion City Moria.Visit MDNtv YouTube Channel for our video content

The inspection comes as Limpopo experiences a major influx of worshippers for the ZCC’s annual September gathering, which began this week and is drawing thousands of congregants from across South Africa and neighbouring countries. More than 4,000 buses are expected to converge on Moria during the pilgrimage period.

The church says the gathering marks the beginning of its New Year, with the conference taking place at its headquarters in Moria. The main activities are expected to culminate in the coming days under the leadership of Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane.

Kekana praised the ZCC for the disciplined and well-coordinated movement of buses, saying the orderly transport arrangements have helped ease congestion and improve traffic flow for other road users.

However, the MEC also delivered a strong warning to public transport and freight operators during an unannounced inspection at the Mantsole Weighbridge.

Kekana said surprise inspections at weighbridges and other traffic facilities would become a regular feature of the department’s road-safety operations, particularly during periods of heightened traffic volumes.

She warned that overloaded buses and trucks would not be tolerated, stressing that enforcement would remain focused on protecting the lives of passengers, motorists and other road users.

«“The lives of motorists and all other road users come first,” Kekana said.»

Her intervention comes as authorities intensify law-enforcement operations on major routes leading to Moria. Traffic officials have been deployed along the N1, N11, R567, R37, D4040 and R71 to manage the massive movement of pilgrims and minimise crashes and congestion.

The R71 between Polokwane and Tzaneen is expected to remain particularly busy. The ZCC has also announced restrictions around Moria, including a ban on vehicle parking and informal trading along a section of the R71 in front of Moria City, as authorities seek to maintain order and protect worshippers and motorists.

Kekana also commended traffic officers working in difficult weather conditions, saying their presence on the roads was critical to ensuring that pilgrims reached their destination safely.

With thousands more worshippers expected to arrive and significant traffic movements anticipated as pilgrims begin returning home, motorists have been urged to exercise patience, avoid speeding, ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and obey instructions from law-enforcementgʻ officials.

The MEC’s message is clear: the Moria pilgrimage must be a celebration of faith without becoming a road-safety disaster.

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