--- title: "Good Friday - Annual ritual of prayer and cleansing takes place on the Klip River in Ekurhuleni" description: "Various churches gathered on the holy day of Good Friday to baptise their congregants. Baptism signifies a deep spiritual cleansing and many churches choose to baptise on the day they believe that Jesus died on the cross." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "PHOTO ESSAY" author: "Felix Dlangamandla" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/felix-dlangamandla/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-04-10-good-friday-annual-ritual-of-prayer-and-cleansing-takes-place-on-the-klip-river-in-ekurhuleni/" published: "2023-04-10T21:51:16" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 270 --- # Good Friday - Annual ritual of prayer and cleansing takes place on the Klip River in Ekurhuleni > Various churches gathered on the holy day of Good Friday to baptise their congregants. Baptism signifies a deep spiritual cleansing and many churches choose to baptise on the day they believe that Jesus died on the cross. By Felix Dlangamandla · Published 10 April 2023, 23:51 SAST ## Key points - Good Friday saw a spiritual cleansing ceremony as church members from uKukhanya kuka Jehova and Morian Africa Churches baptized themselves in the Klip River. A moving experience for all involved, where sins were washed away and members welcomed into the church. - Churches in Ekurhuleni held Good Friday baptism ceremonies. - Bishops of uKukhanya kuka Jehova and Morian Africa Churches prayed and baptised congregants. - The ritual is a spiritual cleansing, washing away sins and welcoming members into the church. - Congregants emerged from the water visibly emotional and touched by the experience. ## Content ![Church members of uKukhanya kuka Jehova Church in Mngadi Katlehong pray before their baptism service at the Klipriver bridge in Ekurhuleni of 07 March 2023. The baptism is part of the Easter weekend service and members are baptised in the Klip River. The old Vereeniging road is nearby and when the prayers started there was a break in traffic. There was absolute silence except for the hum of the prayers in the early morning light. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/c1Jy-wHJ2FEvVni0BKIDuIEogs0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20V2327.jpg) *Church members of uKukhanya kuka Jehova Church in Mngadi Katlehong pray before their baptism service at the Klip River bridge in Ekurhuleni, 7 March 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ![A congregate of uKukhanya kuka Jehova Church walks in her all white church uniform to join the prayers before baptism. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/mb_eFxGLqClT301-8lzx8b41VPo=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20V2477.jpg) *A congregate of uKukhanya kuka Jehova Church walks in her all-white church uniform to join the prayers before baptism. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ![Morian Africa church members huddle together to light candles for prayer under the Klipriver bridge. Various churches use the holy day of Good Friday for this spiritual cleansing ceremony. 07 March 2023. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/segKAFlcj-UKiimGLj2SRpykM0g=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20V2697.jpg) *Morian Africa Church members huddle together to light candles for prayers under the Klip River bridge. Various churches use the holy day of Good Friday for this spiritual cleansing ceremony. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ![Bishop Vukani Ndlela and Bishop Thembinkosi Makhathini of the uKukhanya kuka Jehova Church say prayers before baptising their congregants. They held hands and dipped themselves under water before calling each congregant one by one. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/W5YVBrAmbLxoTWt2uDoLqYSPnbI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20V2534.jpg) *Bishop Vukani Ndlela and Bishop Thembinkosi Makhathini of the uKukhanya kuka Jehova Church say prayers before baptising their congregants. They held hands and dipped themselves under water before calling each congregant one by one. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ![Siboniso Mdaka of the Morian Africa Church baptised by bishops and assisted by other church members. The dipping is a very emotional experience to witness and as one Bishop said it also signifies washing away people’s sins was and is also a way of welcoming some members into the church. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/3i3AEIkUtE_kZAbTiMavKjriBmA=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20V2955.jpg) *Siboniso Mdaka of the Morian Africa Church baptised by bishops and assisted by other church members. The dipping is a very emotional experience to witness and as one bishop said it also signifies washing away people’s sins and is also a way of welcoming some members into the church. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ![Bishops of the Morian Africa Church in Katlehong hit the water with sticks to evoke the spirit during the baptism. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/vFEccppvt23v9e145xTOEfF6HE8=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20V2800.jpg) *Bishops of the Morian Africa Church in Katlehong hit the water with sticks to evoke the spirit during the baptism. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ![A church member of the uKukhanya kuka Jehova Church in Mngadi Katlehong spits out water after being dipped in the Klip RIver. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/S4nO1T8p-M54wOTnZyu77g7d5g4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20V2420.jpg) *A church member of the uKukhanya kuka Jehova Church in Mngadi Katlehong spits out water after being dipped in the Klip RIver. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ![A Morian Africa Church member reaching to the sky after being baptised. People came out of the water visibly emotional and touched by the experience. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/dWum7Z-njIAiOesmDGuqwUoizwo=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20V2820.jpg) *A Morian Africa Church member reaching to the sky after being baptised. People came out of the water visibly emotional and touched by the experience. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)* ![A congregation gathers at the end of their baptism ceremony to pray in the water after the cleansing ceremony to give thanks. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/tOalAUJbxh8iHCTiNTQUYFj_RnA=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Easter-Good-Friday-10.jpg) *A congregation gathers at the end of their baptism ceremony to pray in the water after the cleansing ceremony. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)*