It’s a crisp Winter dawn in the leafy Northern suburbs of Johannesburg.
By "crisp" I mean its a biting single degree and frost glistens on the grass, hinting at below zero temperatures overnight.
It'll be a couple of hours before direct sun reaches the valley where the Braamfontein Spruit, a tributary to the Limpopo River, winds its way through the valley between the suburbs, reaching a walled dam and waterfall at Craighall before cascading over the edge and dropping 20 feet to the rocks below.

It's here that a religious group test and demonstrate their faith by partaking in the sacremental ritual of baptism and spiritual cleansing. Clergy and candidates expose themselves to the frigid water that drums onto the rocks from the heights of the dam wall.
The rituals are a curious mix of the traditional Coptic Christian sacraments intertwined with traditional African tribal rite-of-passage customs. Milk is involved as a catalyst.

An observable hierarchy prevails, adorned in ornate robes and carrying symbolic icons associated with traditional Christianity. However, the act of baptism itself harks to more primitive or even evangelical practices, involving submerging individuals in the cold river or forcefully exposing them to the icy downpour of the falls.

Candidates panic and struggle in response to the frigid shock, screaming and howling in terror, spluttering for breath as they inadvertently inhale water in a scene reminiscent of Chinese water torture. Frankly it’s hard to watch as some individuals go into full flight-mode and try to break free from the clutches of the pastoral clergy who grip harder in expectation to the response.
Adding to the spectacle - as if the tumultuous atmosphere isn't enough - the rocks at the base of the falls are slimy and slippery, so occasionally a stiffened, wet body slaps onto the rock as numb feet lose their purchase, resulting in a domino effect as others try to catch the stumbler and slip themselves. Brutal.

The more devout senior clergy steel themselves and shout loudly and defiantly as they endure the brain-freeze, increasing the intensity the longer they remain in the maelstrom. I witnessed several instances of prolonged exposure to this cold water torture for 10-15 minutes in displays of mind-over-matter that Wim Hof would be proud of. I can only imagine that this extended immersion results in an out-of-body hallucinogenic trancendance, as that is the only explanation for the stamina I witnessed.

The energy of the spectacle was quite stirring.
Despite the heavy-handed treatment, the newly baptised/ cleansed emerged from the ordeal visibly buoyed in spirit, despite uncontrollable shivering in still wet clothes. A palpable elation could be felt. Difficult to describe, but unmistakeably uplifting.

The police arrive and give the group a rude notice to move on, but they'll be back tomorrow. Plenty of souls to cleanse.