It all started with bad dreams. That is how Kyle Todd (11) recalled how his calling to become a sangoma (traditional healer) came about. He was only 9 years old then.
Now, two years later, he is one of South Africa’s youngest Mlungu sangomas (white traditional healers).
He is fully qualified, having completed his training last year October. Since then Kyle Todd is known as Frank Marshall.
Speaking to Rekord, Todd said: “An old man would come into my dreams and teach me about the bones and medicines. At other times it was a young black sangoma teaching me how to read the bones too.”
One day, he woke up and asked his parents to accompany him to the east of Pretoria. Driving without knowing where they were heading, they ended up in the township of Mamelodi.
Surprisingly, when they got to Mamelodi, Kyle Todd started directing his parents to the house of the young sangoma who would later train him to become what he is today.
Speaking about the training, Todd said: “I was not scared to do the training, as the old man told me in my dreams that everything will be fine and I gladly accepted the calling.”
Today, Todd is a proud young English sangoma and has helped more than 60 patients in Mamelodi. He is very good with healing children.
Todd was born in England, where his parents originated from. His parents lived in Watermeyerpark, Pretoria, until recently. They have since moved to Musina in Limpopo.
Not only has Todd learnt sangoma skills, he has even learnt another of our official languages, and speaks a little bit of Sesotho.
Speaking to gobela (trainer) Solomon Mathebula (36), who has been practicing as a sangoma for the past 20 years, he said: “Kyle Todd is doing very well as a sangoma and he could see things before they happen.”
“He once told me a very important person will die and the next thing Nelson Mandela passed away. He has helped so many patients and his most recent patient is a famous soccer player,” Mathebula added.
Todd now also throws the bones with his colleague, Thapelo Letsie (11), who also graduated last year. He is from Nellmapius Extension 3 and, like Todd, he got a calling at the age of nine.
According to Mathebula, the students are also pursuing an education at school and both are doing well in their grades.
A big celebration is being planned to honour Todd. “We are going to have a big ceremony soon for Kyle Todd in Musina where he will open his own practice,” Mathebula revealed.
Meanwhile, both boys have their sights on backing careers. Todd said he wants to be a racer when he grows up, while Letsie wants to become a pilot.
Speaking to Kyle’s parents, Chantal and Michael Todd, they said: “We had no problem for our son to become a sangoma and we supported him throughout the training sessions.”
His parents said they will support their son even if he wanted to become a full-time sangoma.
His family is no newcomers to sangomas. His father said: “It came as no surprise. I used to visit a farm in Kwa-Zulu Natal when I was 10 years old, and always got on well with the owner, Frank Marshall, who through the bones have found he also believed in the traditional healing methods of sangomas.
“He reads the bones, dances very well at ceremonies, and easily senses bad spirits and wishes. Kyle’s spiritual guidance has come from him, and a woman far back in our family line. Before Kyle became a student sangoma, he had unexplained dreams, which were the exact same dreams I had as a boy of 9 years old.
“Solomon Mathebula explained that these are the dreams of a person who should become a sangoma and we supported him all the way.”
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