• Politicians are unfaithful in their search for votes, but timing is everything for others
We Africans are very religious. We love our triple heritage of religions, from African traditional religions, Christianity to Islam.
We are also open to other faiths and belief systems in whatever form we find them, and though few will ever admit it, many see these beliefs as a sort of insurance policy.
I’ll never forget the story of the Christian sect that visited the Jewish synagogue in Nairobi and wanted to stay there for good as they believed when the rapture came, and they were sure it was on its way, God would come for his “chosen people” the Jews first.
Apparently they thought if they were in the synagogue, they might get a free ride to glory in the confusion. Eventually, they were persuaded to clear off.
This love of religion in all its forms therefore means that like those people who have multiple life insurance policies, some people have multiple religious beliefs.
On Sunday, they are Christian, and depending on how they feel or who they are trying to impress, might attend a Catholic Mass, an Anglican, Presbytarian, Lutheran or Pentacostal Service or any one of the many evangelical churches.
Many of the same people will happily consult a prophet, a healer or a plain old mganga, and are also the first to turn to their traditional or tribal faiths when necessary.
Our politicians are the best example of this. As the elections near, you will see them visit mosques, churches and temples in search of every last vote.
The politicians won’t broadcast it, and none will ever admit it, but many are known to also pay visits to soothsayers, palmists and other diviners under the cover of darkness. How I know this could be a whole other column on its own.
As much as they often like to see themselves as being separate and even different from the rest of the continent, South Africans are actually as African as the rest of us when it comes to a question of religion
In fact, Kenyans could learn a thing or two about being faithful to ancestral faiths from the South Africans, who are very serious and open about it and have no problem giving it as much prominence as other beliefs.
But we also love sports. Of course, it helps that we are so good at sports that even when we turn our hand to non-traditional sports, we tend to inspire. Just look at the five African countries that participated in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
So when religion and sport clash, it is a problem.
This is what has happened here in Cape Town, where the world-famous Two Oceans Ultra Marathon has come under attack for being scheduled to take place on Easter Sunday morning.
By the time you read this, the issue will have been decided one way or the other, but as of a week before, the date of the race, which draws participants from all over South Africa and other parts of the world, including Kenya, hangs in the balance.
A group of church ministers from Fish Hoek, a coastal town that forms part of the Cape Town Metro, has complained about not being consulted by either the organisers of the marathon or the City authorities.
During the race, a number of roads are closed off to cars completely. The clergymen and women fear that this will cause problems for many church members who want to drive to church to attend the most important day in the Christian calendar.
The City has gotten involved and is currently engaging with the event organiser with regards to urgently resolving the concerns raised by the churches, which probably means some route changes.
While it’s a legitimate gripe, the cheeky realist in me can’t help feeling that there will be quite a number among the faithful who will use the marathon as the perfect excuse to stay home or even line up the route to cheer on the runners.