Decolonising the word: Themba Masinga and his religious poetry in Ibandla LamaNazaretha

Abstract

Themba Masinga is one of the most prominent praise poets in Ibandla lamaNazaretha of Ebuhleni. He has composed a number of praise poems especially for Uthingo (MV Shembe) and the present leader, Unyazi (M Shembe). However, Masinga has also composed and performed poems that reflect on his identity as a member of Ibandla lamaNazaretha. Masinga's religious poetry borrows from a number of genres including praise poetry, sermon performance, story-telling and modern poetry. Masinga's poems are shot through with biblical references, and this article examines the ways in which he appropriates the Bible in his poetry. The author suggests that Masinga's reading of the Bible defies a simplistic understanding of the Bible as the word of God. His use of the Bible is quite complex because at one point he rejects it as a foreign text, but uses it to support his claims. He appropriates the Bible for his purposes, and uses it to define his identity as a member of Ibandla lamaNazaretha.