Speakers who addressed the Mupo Day celebrations all agreed that all development of sacred sites should be stopped.

This transpired during an awareness campaign held at the Indoor Sports Centre in Thohoyandou at the weekend.

The campaign is the brainchild of Dzomo la Mupo, an organisation fighting for the preservation of "Mupo", or the natural creation of the whole universe.

Knowledgeable elders, custodians of sacred sites, cultural biodiversity groups and traditional healers and leaders were among those in attendance. The convener, Makhadzi Mphateleni Makaulule of the Mupo Foundation, said the campaign was a result of the interaction between Dzomo la Mupo members and knowledgeable elders in the community.

"We have been interacting with knowledgeable elders since 2006 and they advised us to enlighten our communities about the dangers of tampering with sacred sites. Our sacred sites are being desecrated and destroyed while we look on," she said.

She said the organisation was worried that, instead of speaking against the destroying of the Ramunangi site, the government is again planning to do further damage by developing another sacred site, Lake Fundudzi. Dzomo la Mupo is still embroiled in a court battle with developers who were bent on destroying the Ramunangi site. "People should just know the consequences of tampering with sacred sites. There will be no rain and, as we know, there is no life without water, "she said.

Speaker after speaker attacked development at sacred sites, which they say will infuriate the ancestors.

Ms Petra Terreblanche, a cultural anthropologist, said sacred sites could not be used as picnic sites. She said she was not against development, but that it should be far away from the sacred sites. "Sacred sites will remain sacred where the community connects with the ancestors. Because of the tampering with the sites, things are no longer going right. Nature is no longer alive in the area," she added.

Vho Makhadzi Vho Tshavhungwe Ramunagi, whose sacred site at Phiphidi Waterfalls has been developed, said she was very disappointed by what was happening at sacred sites. "We have been left naked. These sites are not for everyone to enter, but only selected individuals who are allowed to communicate with the ancestors. They have built lodges at the site and we, the owners of the site, are not even allowed to enter without paying. We are against all this,” she said.

Thanyani Nemakonde of Mudzi said there were leaders who received massive funding and were thinking of allowing some developments at sacred sites. "We are against any form of development in these areas," said Nemakonde.