“Took It Too Far”: Soshanguve Church Takes Palm Sunday Too Seriously With Two Boys on Donkeys

• A Soshanguve church brought Palm Sunday to life on township streets with a full congregation reenactment on 29 March 2026
• Two boys rode donkeys through the streets of Soshanguve as their pastor led the entire group in the procession
• Palm Sunday is one of the oldest Christian observances, dating back to the fourth century and celebrated across dozens of countries worldwide

A Soshanguve church refused to let Palm Sunday pass as just another service on a pew.

The United Reformed Church of South Africa (URCSA) Soshanguve North brought the streets of Soshanguve, Pretoria, alive on Sunday, 29 March 2026. They turned the township roads into a living piece of biblical history. Led by their pastor, rev Monyane Justice Ntai, the congregation stepped outside the four walls of their church and reenacted one of the most significant moments in Christianity. They did it right there in the community.

Two young boys rode donkeys through the streets as the pastor led the entire group forward. The reenactment mirrored the biblical account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem. It was all captured on video and shared on TikTok under the church’s account, @urcsa.soshanguve.north.

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A day that carries 2,000 years of history

Palm Sunday is one of the oldest and most widely observed days in the Christian calendar. It is celebrated every year on the Sunday before Easter. It marks the moment Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds welcomed him by laying palm branches and their cloaks on the road before him. The event is recorded in all four Gospels of the New Testament.

How the world marks the day

Today, Palm Sunday is observed across dozens of countries, with each culture adding its own identity to the celebration. In countries where palm trees do not grow, churches substitute olive branches in Italy, willows in Poland, and other local greenery to carry the same meaning. In parts of Wales and England, the day is known as Flowering Sunday, where people place flowers on the graves of loved ones.

In Ethiopia and Eritrea, worshippers carry large palm crosses in procession. Spain kicks off Holy Week with full street processions that draw thousands of people. In the Philippines, elaborate palm weaving is an art form tied directly to the day.

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi reacts to the re-enactment

Briefly News compiled some comments from the post below.

@Ofentse Leshawn commented:

“The angels must be disappointed after watching this.”

@Tshego M....wrote:

“I am sure the church ⛪️members really enjoyed this, and the new community recruitments, Pastor. 👌”

@Mosa said:

“So they have a mini Jesus riding a donkey? 😂”

@Kindness asked:

“Where is the SPCA to rescue the donkeys🤔in this Palm Sunday?”

@Younglovelyboys wrote:

“I am confused, guys. Someone, please explain. Maybe I forgot too much about Palm Sunday. 😁”

@Lundi_Angel said:

“The hired donkeys are confused as to what is actually going on. 😂”

More articles involving churches

• Briefly News previously reported that an American content creator edited himself into a video of South African Zion church members performing their traditional slow dance in green robes.
• Pastor Makhado Ramabulana ran a church in Soshanguve and has now spent years warning South Africans about practices he says are common in charismatic churches.
• A TikTok video showed a moment of present worship in an African church.

Source: Briefly News