Bulawayo’s biggest gospel music gathering

BULAWAYO came alive on Africa Day as thousands of people thronged Hartsfield Rugby Grounds for the second edition of the Ekhaya Worship Festival, a spirit-filled event that is quickly becoming one of the city’s biggest gospel music gatherings.

Curated by multi-award-winning gospel musician Everton Mlalazi as part of his birthday celebrations, the festival turned the City of Kings into a centre of praise, worship and powerful musical experiences.

From as early as 8am, the venue was already full of activity as people streamed in for a health and business expo, where sponsoring companies showcased their products and services. Learners also benefited from career guidance sessions, while elderly citizens received free medical check-ups and medication.

However, it was the main worship experience that drew the most attention. Hours before the programme officially began at 2pm, worshippers were already filling up the venue, eager to secure good spots for a strong line-up that included South African gospel stars Zaza Mokhethi, Dumi Mkokstad and Oncemore Six, alongside Zimbabwean artistes Canaan Nyathi and Takesure Zamar Ncube.

Local acts opened the stage with high energy. Tehillah Testimony set the tone with a well-polished performance before Vusa Mangena led a moving worship session. Nkosi Herman followed, reminding many why he remains one of Bulawayo’s most popular gospel artistes. His performance of “Ujesu Ngiyamthanda”, a blend of gospel and mbaqanga rhythms, had the crowd singing and dancing along.

Other performers who kept the momentum going included Mai Mwamuka, Lorraine Maplanka and Minister Loveness Mukutira, while groups such as IWorship, Dunamis Men, Vocal Base, Pastor Barak Family, Family Voices, ZimPraise and Vocal Ex added colour and strong vocal performances to the festival.

Vocal Ex played a particularly important role as the in-house backing vocalists for the solo artistes.

As the day progressed and the sun began to set, the atmosphere became even livelier. At around 6pm, South African media personalities and twin sisters Milly Mashile and Innocent Sadiki, popularly known as the Cent Twinz, took over as hosts alongside the energetic Becky K.

The crowd erupted when gospel veteran Zaza Mokhethi took to the stage. Performing well-loved songs such as Imbewu, Bayeke Bahleke and Namhla Nkosi, she delivered a powerful and emotional set that connected with fans of all ages.

She was followed by Oncemore Six, whose energetic performance lifted the mood even further. Songs like Themba Lendawo Yonke and Ohlonitshwayo turned the venue into a lively and joyful worship space.

One of the most emotional moments of the night came when Canaan Nyathi performed. His entrance with the hit song Baba Ziveze sent the crowd into excitement and prepared the stage for the host, Everton Mlalazi. In a touching family moment, Mlalazi walked onto the stage with his wife and manager Gamuchirai and their children Natasha, Keisha and Nathan-Ephraim, who surprised him with birthday tributes in front of thousands of people. Natasha sang “Happy Birthday” for her father, while Keisha moved the crowd by playing Hakuna Akaita saJesu alongside a Marimba group. Mlalazi later joined them, turning the moment into a heartfelt family worship session that drew loud cheers.

This entrance reflected Mlalazi’s message that faith, family and humility are key to success. He then began his performance with Ekhaya, a symbolic song marking his return home to Bulawayo.

For nearly two hours, he held the crowd’s attention with popular songs such as Apo Mambo and Pfugama Unamate. Fans also sang along to tracks from his latest album In The Presence: Great God, including Munondida Ndakadaro, Makabongwe and Muri Mutsvene, which he performed with Oncemore Six.

His final song, Tiri Vana vaMambo from Celestial Chorus Volume 3, brought his set to a strong and emotional close, with Mlalazi sharing that the song was released on his 44th birthday and holds special meaning for him.

Veteran worshipper Takesure Zamar Ncube followed with a calm but powerful performance that helped connect the audience deeply with the spirit of worship.

Bringing the festival to a close was crowd favourite Dumi Mkokstad, whose strong stage presence and emotional delivery ended the event on a high note. His performance of Asikho Isikhali moved many in the crowd to tears as worshippers reflected on God’s protection and grace.

Reflecting on the event, Mlalazi said he is grateful for the support he received from the people of Bulawayo, saying his “heart is full”.

“There’s something powerful about celebrating life, purpose and ministry at home, surrounded by family, friends and people who have supported my journey from the beginning. Every year, Ekhaya feels like a thanksgiving moment for me. I don’t take it for granted that God has allowed me to continue serving through music while celebrating another year of life.

“Bulawayo will always have a special place in my heart because this is where the dream started,” he said.

With a strong turnout, powerful performances and a joyful atmosphere, the Ekhaya Worship Festival is now firmly establishing itself as one of Bulawayo’s leading annual events, bringing people together through music, faith and celebration.