Phikwe to host ZCC leader, Lekganyane
Zion Christian Church (ZCC) leader, Bishop Dr Barnabas Edward Lekganyane will visit Selebi-Phikwe this Saturday. The respected religious leader will attend the church’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), bringing together church leaders from across Botswana at a time when many people are hoping for a break from the extreme heat and a return of life-giving rainfall. For some of his followers, Lekganyane’s presence carries spiritual meaning beyond the church’s annual gathering.
Across parts of Southern Africa, he is associated with prayers for rain, with believers often attributing rainfall during periods of drought to divine intervention following prayer gatherings.
While there is no scientific basis for attributing rainfall to the arrival of an individual, the faith that some church members place in Lekganyane shows the enduring role of religion in providing hope during difficult seasons.
The bishop, who leads one of Southern Africa’s prominent Christian movements, has built a following that extends beyond South Africa into Botswana and other neighbouring countries.
His church gatherings regularly attract large numbers of worshippers, many of whom regard prayer as a source of strength during personal and national challenges. In Botswana, his name is also highly praised for ZCC’s contributions to community infrastructure, particularly healthcare. One of its notable contributions is the Mahlaku Lekganyane clinic in Mmopane Block One, a 21-room healthcare facility built at a reported cost of P10 million.
The clinic was officially opened on May 28, 2017. It was named after Mahlaku Lekganyane, the late grandmother of the current ZCC leader. On May 22, 2022, ZCC Kganya Botswana donated an ambulance to the facility, fulfilling a pledge made by Bishop Lekganyane in 2017. Lekganyane has also engaged with Botswana’s political leadership over national and community concerns.