News / Africa
Gay sangoma
07 May 2013 at 19:13hrs | Views
HE is a sangoma in every way. But he is different from most sangomas. He is gay.
Sphamandla Ndebele (22) from section 3 in Madadeni, near Newcastle, in northern KZN, said he heard the calling when he was still in his teens. He matriculated in 2008 and started his training with a local gobela. He graduated as a sangoma in 2011.
He told Daily Sun: "I grew up playing with girls instead of boys, but there was never any romance between me and the girls.
"Being gay didn't stop me from receiving powers from my ancestors. I heal sick people. I charge them R60 to read the bones and R30 to see their problems in water."
Sazi Mhlongo, spokesman for the KZN Traditional Healers Organisation, said: "I've never heard of a gay sangoma, but I'm not saying there can't be any. I don't see a problem if he does things the way they should be done."
Sphamandla said: "People just need to accept me for who I am. Those who criticise me are old-fashioned. I'm good at my work and I respect my ancestors."
He has not told his family that he's gay.
"My ancestors will have their way of telling them. Maybe my story in Daily Sun is one of the ways," he said.
He was once in a relationship with a man but he's single now.
"I'm ready for any man who knows what he wants and won't have a problem with me being a sangoma," he said.
Sphamandla Ndebele (22) from section 3 in Madadeni, near Newcastle, in northern KZN, said he heard the calling when he was still in his teens. He matriculated in 2008 and started his training with a local gobela. He graduated as a sangoma in 2011.
He told Daily Sun: "I grew up playing with girls instead of boys, but there was never any romance between me and the girls.
"Being gay didn't stop me from receiving powers from my ancestors. I heal sick people. I charge them R60 to read the bones and R30 to see their problems in water."
Sazi Mhlongo, spokesman for the KZN Traditional Healers Organisation, said: "I've never heard of a gay sangoma, but I'm not saying there can't be any. I don't see a problem if he does things the way they should be done."
Sphamandla said: "People just need to accept me for who I am. Those who criticise me are old-fashioned. I'm good at my work and I respect my ancestors."
He has not told his family that he's gay.
"My ancestors will have their way of telling them. Maybe my story in Daily Sun is one of the ways," he said.
He was once in a relationship with a man but he's single now.
"I'm ready for any man who knows what he wants and won't have a problem with me being a sangoma," he said.
Source - Daily Sun
