Gaborone — It was on Tuesday March 18, 2008, exactly two days prior to the commencement of the Easter holidays, when I gave a lift to a man of God. Journeying together for 300km afforded us an opportunity to bond and trade information.

In particular I learnt a lot on his religion. My meeting with 26-year-old Shimane Mokgethi was accidental, although the clergyman does not rule out the possibility of some divine intervention.

The fact of the matter is that we had no prior arrangement. I picked him at Palapye, the Martin's Drift hiking spot. Since he owns no car, travelling to Moria is a real ordeal as he has to hitch-hike to complete the 600km round journey in bits and pieces. His travelling woes were compounded by the heavy camping equipment which he has to carry on his shoulders. Although the equipment weighed heavily on him, it would be quite handy ahead where pilgrims pitch their tents in the expanse and dusty grounds of Moria.

Having planned to cross the border at Martin's Drift, he kicked off his journey from Gaborone at 9 am on March 18 aboard a Francistown-bound bus. At 12.25, he alighted from the bus at Palapye-Martin's Drift to hitch a lift to the border. At this stage, he had covered a distance of 300km and was yet to contend with another 300km. Luckily for him, I offered him a lift straight to Pietersburg, which is located a stone's throw from Moria. What a sigh of relief for him! Our motives for traveling were different; his was a spiritual mission, while mine was a social outing.

A Zion Christian Church fanatic! It's a description that fits Mokgethi. He embraced ZCC 8 years ago and has remained true and faithful to it ever since. "I rarely miss big prayer meetings in the city of peace, Moria." He said he joined of his own freewill as he was neither influenced by peers nor family. None of his parents belongs to ZCC. He sees his conversion to the ZCC "as a response to a calling".

Like his fellow Zionists, the Good Friday fever caught up with Mokgethi. Good Friday is a very important moment on the Christian calendar. Mokgethi expected to join about 3 million pilgrims in Moria to mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He struck me as a real man of faith. Faith is a powerful force; alone it can move both heaven and earth. Some travel short distances because their church headquarters are located nearby, while the likes of Mokgethi have to undertake long, arduous and tiresome expeditions beyond the borders of the country. Mokgethi appreciates that travelling to Moria into the crime-ridden South African territory is a risky venture. Hence, he chose his routes to Moria carefully. Security considerations made Mokgethi to choose travelling via Martin's Drift, which is deemed a safer route. Based in Gaborone and living in the proximity of Tlokweng, ideally Mokgethi would choose to use the Tlokweng border gate. But it is considered too risky as the better part of the journey is made on South African soil.

"I chose to travel via Martin's Drift because the route is familiar to me," he said. Many a time, lives are lost due to crime or road accidents as the volume of traffic during Easter is unbearably high. But as for Mokgethi, who was clad in ZCC regalia, the church head gear and the star emblem sparkling on his left breast, he looked fortified enough to keep dangers at bay. For him the Lord is his shepherd and in His Lords company he has no fears. In any case, undertaking such a risky journey is a worthy price one has to pay to fulfill the dictates of the Holy Spirit. Buka ee boitshepho ya re: Go sego moswi yo o swang a swela moreneng (The bible says: Happy are those who die in the service of the lord).

Quizzed on the significance of wearing the church uniform when in transit, Mokgethi had this to say: "The church uniform serves more than the purpose of identification of members. More importantly, the uniform provides some kind of insurance against all sorts of hazards."

When we reached the border after an hour's drive, I bought a few soft drinks and offered one to my ZCC companion. My offer was politely refused. Realising that I was a bit worried, he explained that he is not in the habit of eating before completing his journey. It was then I realised this was a subtle way of saying he had to do fast when travelling to Moria. Before we could complete immigration formalities, Mokgethi excused himself to go to the toilet. I later discovered that he had gone there to say prayers to ask the Lord to bless our journey. Small wonder our trip became a smooth affair. Even the police on the South African side who usually scan visitors before allowing them entry simply waved us through and asked us to pray for them.

On why he was undertaking his journey to Moria two days prior to the commencement of Easter, he said: "I am unemployed, and therefore have placed all my time at the disposal of the Lord. Besides, I have to be there early to pave the way for others coming after me." Paving the way for others primarily involved go kopa dithapelo ka diatla (action praying). This type of prayer takes several forms such as performing menial tasks like sweeping the vast grounds of Moria, collecting firewood, giving a helping hand in the shops, tending the royal herds, and generally being sent on church errands to prepare Moria for hosting about 3 million pilgrims.

Mokgethi was looking forward to a sermon by His Grace Reverend Barnabas Lekganyane, which he was expected to deliver on Sunday March 23. Having joined the growing army of the unemployed after graduating from the University of Botswana in 2007, he is pinning his hopes on God. He believes that God has a master plan for everyone. He is the holder of a first degree in Public Administration and Political Science. While at university, his faith was often put to the test when ZCC detractors made negative comments.

"There were times when people who knew my membership of the church attempted to woo me to their churches. They would ask me to be born again as if I was not already converted," he said. Being the staunch Zionist that he is, Mokgethi dismissed such negative talk with the contempt it deserved. He advocates an environment where people from different denominations could live together in the spirit of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. By 4pm, we reached Polokwane, and he asked to be dropped off at the nearest bus rank. As he took out his purse to pay, I asked him to save it for his stay in Moria. As we parted ways, he took my details, promising to bring some blessings for me from Moria. Haleluya!