At the first house , we met a young woman who said , “ Here you girls are , just as I expected . ” “Uma senithandana ngempela nibuye nibe nezinto enizibangayo. Nathi siyahilizisana kodwa sibuye sibe nendlela yokukulungisa lokho. Yingakho kumnandi ngijabule kangaka,” kusho uNomsa ehleka. The January festivals, particularly the one held in mid-January, see Shembe followers, clad in traditional white garments, flock to the holy mountain of Nhlangakazi. Some worshippers travel very long distances to reach the holy mountain, where they participate in ritualistic song and dance. During the exodus to the mountain, the Shembe take part in a hypnotic, trance-like dance, with the men leading the way. The married women follow, carrying furled umbrellas and tiny ceremonial shields in the same colours as their church clothing. They are, in turn, followed by young maidens in full traditional regalia. A constant stream of vehicles and barefooted worshippers snakes along the dusty road to the holy site.