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Why Lake Fundudzi is sacred to the Venda people
By Livhuwani MudauJune 18, 2026 7 min read
A hidden lake in Limpopo, a python god, and a ritual greeting performed on hands and knees.
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Lake Fundudzi sits in the Soutpansberg mountains and belongs to the VhaTavhatsindi clan, custodians of its rituals.
Visitors traditionally greet the lake by turning their backs and viewing it through their legs — a gesture of humility to the python god that lives beneath.
It remains one of the few sacred natural sites in South Africa where access is still controlled by traditional authority.
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