Paul Weinberg South African, b. 1956
Phiphidi Falls, a sacred site of the Vha-Venda people and the Modjadji Rain Queen, near Makhado, Limpopo, 2019-21
colour digital archival print on Hahnemühle Photo rag 308 gsm paper
sheet size: 59.4 x 84.1 cm
edition 10+2AP
signed and numbered in pencil in the margin
Phiphidi Falls is a sacred site of the Ramunangi clan of the Vha-Venda. Traditional beliefs hold that ancestral water spirits reside in the pool and waterfall. To appease these spirits,...
Phiphidi Falls is a sacred site of the Ramunangi clan of the Vha-Venda. Traditional beliefs
hold that ancestral water spirits reside in the pool and waterfall. To appease these spirits,
descendants regularly need to pour libations of grain and beer at the site, while local clan
members regularly pray there for rain, health, good harvests and peace. An interlayered set
of beliefs, laws and rituals determine cultural and spiritual practice at Phiphidi. In 2010, the
traditional custodians of the site warned of its “defilement” at the hands of careless tourists
and property developers, but today it is successfully managed by conservation authorities
and local authorities.
