FREE AT LAST

On the 14th of March, I suddenly and quietly, did my last ceremony as a twasa (Sangoma apprentice).Having dedicated 7 years to my apprenticeship, with 3 formal Sangoma teachers, I can say I have learn't a lot.

In the meantime, I am living with a family on the next hill from where I did the last stage (3 years) of my apprenticeship. They, the Cele family, have given me a hut to live in and another for my mutis (medicines) and to through the bones in. The room I lived in when I did my apprenticeship is now my office, as it has electricity, and my fenced off garden is close by. My office houses my computer, and it is where I have started writing again.

Now I am preparing a piece of land, in this same village, as my own home. It has a run-down house, with 4 rooms, on it. There is no electricity, and water can be found across the road at a communal tap. It still needs a toilet and a hut for my ancestors.

My dream for my new home is to establish it as a healing centre for locals and foreigners alike.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE AMONGST SANGOMAS

As I write about my journey out of Cape Town to Zululand last summer, all the Sangomas I met come to mind. This leads me to ponder on what I have learn’t from each one. It appears as if they expect my ancestors to teach me herbal lore. This does happen. Imagine how much more we can learn if we were more willing to share our knowledge, as well?

From what I’ve seen, the twasas who are not taught the Sangoma’s medicine stays a twasa for a long time. Yes, there is a process that happens within, a personal and spiritual growth that needs to occur. There are those of us who are ready and hunger for knowledge of our indigenous herbs, knowledge that is held back by those who keep it.

Oft times, in my case, it has been exacerbated by the fact that we didn’t understand each other’s languages too well. This takes time. I now look forward to meeting people who understand my language and hold this knowledge I seek, soon. The time has come to reduce the amount of herbs I need brought in from other countries to perform the everyday miracles I’m accustomed to. This is my home country and this is where I’d like to source my herbal ingredients for my remedies.

While in Zululand, there were times people were queuing out my door, waiting to consult me and waiting for their muti. This is because each person will receive a remedy made particularly for them. This method of treatment works very well. Word spreads and with it, reputation. More people come for healing. How many more people I would have been able to help with a better and more complete knowledge of the indigenous herbs.
Come then, Sangomas, Inyangas, Herbalists of South Africa, come let us learn from each other.