Mapumulo’s healing muthi master

Before you arrive at his door, traditional healer and sangoma Thengindaba Mkhize has already prepared the medicine you will need.

The Mapumulo based healer claims the ancestors visit him in his dreams, telling him of his patient’s ailments and how to best cure them.

Currently a resident of Maqumbi, 27 km inland from KwaDukuza town, Mkhize is also the chairperson for Ilembe’s Traditional Healers Organisation.

He has been on this sacred and controversial path since the calling forced him to drop out of school in grade three, more than 40 years ago.

“During lunch break I would go to the bush and dig out roots.

“I eventually ran away and stayed in the bush, looking after my father’s cattle while collecting the herbs to heal people.”

While the lines between the professions are blurry, Mkhize says there is a distinct difference between the offices of traditional healer, sangoma and witch doctor.

A sangoma has the help of the ancestors, while a traditional healer is more closely aligned to a doctor, making medicines from plants.

“A sangoma tells you what is causing your problems and tells you what to do to overcome them. A traditional healer cannot tell you what your problems are, you inform him or her of your aliment and he will give medication.

“Then there is the witchdoctor, this person does not heal, they are the ones who give people muthi to kill or make others sick. They help those who would make other people’s lives miserable.”

Also read: Traditional healers march against muthi killings

The path to becoming a fully fledged sangoma takes time and divine guidance.

Mkhize said his ancestors visited him in his dreams, telling him to collect bones at the sea. He did this until one day the ancestors showed him a house in Hammarsdale.

They told him that the house belonged to an old sangoma and he would be the one to teach him to use the bones.

“This is how my initiation began. I stayed with that sangoma for six months. I was given muthi to make me strong and given all the necessary training.”

Two significant items were given to him to signal his readiness to begin work.

A bag containing all the tools of the trade and a hat made out of beads, to wear only when on duty.

“You cannot just go out and buy a bag to carry your medicine, it has to be given by the person who trained you. These two items are like your graduation gown and certificate. You cannot get them anywhere. You must earn them.”

When he arrived at home a ritual ceremony was performed and a cow was slaughtered to welcome him back from the initiation.

He said he was concerned about the high number of fake healers flooding the market because they were destroying the reputation of the legitimate healers.

“People need to be careful who they go to if they need traditional medicine.

“These days there are even traditional medicine pharmacies, of which I am not a fan.”

Mkhize said traditional medicine was very particular to the individual needs of the client and the instructions of the ancestors, which is why trying to mass produce it was dangerous.

“This is how people get given the wrong medication.”

He added that being in this profession came with a lot of responsibility as people’s lives were at stake.

“You have to be honest with your patients. If you do not have the answers you must say so, never take chances.”

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