HAROLD MAWELA

 The Idol Maker’s Heart: A South African’s Journey from Crafted Gods to Crucified Grace Part 1: The Craftsman on Church Street Just last Tuesday, I met a man on Church Street in Pretoria—a craftsman with fingers stained by wood polish and eyes weary from too much seeing. He sat outside the gleaming glass offices of a new bank, his weathered hands carving a small figure from tamboti wood. Tourists gathered around him, admiring how the form of a graceful impala emerged from what was once a formless block. "This will bring you protection," he whispered to a fascinated onlooker. "The spirit of this creature will watch over your home." I stood transfixed, not by the carving itself, but by the sacred irony of it all. Here on Church Street, between the stained-glass windows of a historic chapel and the mirrored facade of economic power, a human being was doing what we all do—shaping something to worship, something to trust in, something to give us what only God can give . ...

 Preparation Meets the Moment of Destiny: Divine Readiness in a Time of Load-Shedding A Light in the Darkness: My Akasia Epiphany The relentless buzz of my generator hums through another night of load-shedding here in Akasia. Outside my window, the darkness blankets our streets—a familiar scene across our beloved South Africa. Yet in this forced stillness, I find myself contemplating a deeper truth: How often does God use these forced blackouts in our lives to teach us to rely on His eternal light? The very darkness that frustrates our plans becomes the canvas upon which God paints His most brilliant purposes. This past week, as stage six load-shedding hit our community, I witnessed something beautiful emerging from the darkness. My neighbor, old Mr. Khumalo, who normally remains secluded behind his high wall, emerged with candles and a kettle, creating an impromptu sidewalk café where neighbors gathered, shared stories, and connected in ways we haven't in years. In that moment, I ...

The Basin and The Throne: Why Servanthood Is the Only True Greatness By Harold Mawela | Akasia, Pretoria I. The Inversion That Defies Every Instinct Here in Akasia, where the winter wind whips through the streets and the power cuts plunge us into darkness more often than not, we understand power. We see it in the flickering lights of the wealthy homes with their generators humming—the modern scepter of privilege. We feel it in the tension between those who have and those who wait, always wait, for promises unfulfilled. In this South Africa of 2025, where our national psyche bears the scars of colonial arrogance, apartheid brutality, and post-liberation disappointments, we’ve developed a particular allergy to servitude. After being forced to kneel for so long, who wants to hear that true greatness is found in voluntary kneeling? Yet Christ’s words in Matthew 23:11 strike with the force of divine contradiction: "The greatest among you must become a servant." This isn't spir...

 The Unhurried Harvest: Why Patience is the Pace of Promise (A Reflection from Akasia, Pretoria) The Highveld thunder cracks like God’s whip over our tin roofs. In my township, we know waiting. We queue for water, for grants, for lights during load-shedding. We wait for justice, for jobs, for the corruption to end. Yet James 1:4 thunders louder than Eskom’s failures: "Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." In a nation sprinting toward shortcuts, God whispers: True power grows in the pause. I. The Cult of Hurry vs. The Currency of Kairos South Africa breathes impatience. We want now: instant data, instant loans, instant solutions. Our politicians promise overnight miracles while looting tomorrow’s hope. Social media screams, "Demand your destiny!" But God’s economy trades in Kairos—His appointed time. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac . Joseph weathered prison before palace. Even creation took six days. Divine dela...

 ## The Carpenter’s Chisel: How Your Tongue Tenders Your Terrain   *(And Why Truth Trumps Volume)*   **Akasia, Pretoria** — The rhythmic *thud-thud-thud* of Auntie Lerato’s mortar and pestle echoes down our street each dawn. She’s pounding maize, yes, but also pounding truth into my soul: *“Mntanam, words are like seeds. Plant weeds, harvest chaos. Plant maize, feed generations.”* Her wisdom mirrors Solomon’s: **“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21)** . Yet in our South Africa—where prosperity preachers promise private jets for “positive confessions” and politicians spin lies smoother than *umqombothi*—we’ve distorted divine linguistics into a cosmic vending machine.   ### I. The Terrain: Where Our Words Take Root   **Picture this:** A shack fire in Khayelitsha. Instead of handing out blankets, a televangelist shouts: *“Declare ‘flame be still!’ Claim your fireproof miracle!”* Meanwhile, volunteers whisper prayers *...

 ## The Alchemy of Gratitude: Turning Akasia's Dust into Divine Dew   The relentless Highveld sun bleached my driveway to ash-grey this morning. As I scooped *mieliepap* into the bin, the metallic groan of our overloaded municipal truck echoed down the street—another reminder of our crumbling infrastructure. Just yesterday, news broke that Akasia’s police station, battling Pretoria’s crime surge, operates with only **five functioning vehicles** across 152 square kilometers . My own frustration simmered: *Another day of load-shedding. Another pothole swallowing tyres. Another headline of political squabbling while communities gasp for solutions.* Then, cutting through my grumbling, came the Spirit’s whisper: *"Ten were cleansed, Harold. Where are the nine?"* (Luke 17:17).   ### I. The Desert of Discontent: A South African Snapshot   We dwell in a land of paradox. Cape Town prepares to host the **AU-AIP Water Investment Summit**—a beacon of hope aiming t...