News / Africa
Sangoma in trouble for sexual abusing clients
11 May 2016 at 06:39hrs | Views
FOR YEARS the gobela was warned to stop bonking the young women who came to him to thwasa.
But he always ignored the warning – and now he has paid the price.
With the approval of his wife residents have trashed both his Indumbas.
Since Monday, the 68-year-old sangoma from Villa Liza, near Boksburg, Ekurhuleni has been in hiding, running away from the people and the police, who want him to answer for his actions.
His indumba were destroyed and his bones were removed when other sangomas, with the police and some community members, went to his house to confront him about sleeping with a 22-year-old girl who came to him looking for help.
The gobela's wife said she was happy the people have intervened to rescue her marriage.
"I have always warned him to stop using young women who come to him," she said.
"This is not the first incident where I had to fight with him over a young woman."
She said this time it started in January. She said her husband was sleeping in the indumba with the thwasa and she was not allowed to enter.
"He doesn't sleep with me. Since the beginning of last year, I have not shared the same bed with my husband.
"He tells me that his ancestors have told him that I bring bad luck into his life so he doesn't have clients."
"It was a bitter pill for me to swallow to have him as a stranger in my house. I hope he will find happiness after police arrest him."
Themba Maseko, the girl's father, said their daughter had an ancestral calling to be a sangoma.
"I was hoping she would be happy after honouring her ancestors," he said.
Themba said when he first got a message to say his daughter was sleeping with the gobela he didn't believe it.
"But my wife went there in March and found him naked, sleeping with my daughter," he said.
He said he complained to the cops, who said the daughter was not under age or kidnapped and there was no case.
Daily Sun spoke to another thwasa who was used in a similar way.
She said the sangoma told her that sleeping with him would make her a strong sangoma and would bring them both luck.
"I accepted sleeping with him because if I had left him I would be cursed forever," she said.
Mtimande Ngwenya, of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, said they received a complaint from the parents of the young girl.
"We destroyed the indumba as a warning to bogus sangomas who take advantage of people. We will bring sangomas to book when they do things like this," said Mtimande.
At the time of going to print, Dawn Park Police said there was no comment.
But he always ignored the warning – and now he has paid the price.
With the approval of his wife residents have trashed both his Indumbas.
Since Monday, the 68-year-old sangoma from Villa Liza, near Boksburg, Ekurhuleni has been in hiding, running away from the people and the police, who want him to answer for his actions.
His indumba were destroyed and his bones were removed when other sangomas, with the police and some community members, went to his house to confront him about sleeping with a 22-year-old girl who came to him looking for help.
The gobela's wife said she was happy the people have intervened to rescue her marriage.
"I have always warned him to stop using young women who come to him," she said.
"This is not the first incident where I had to fight with him over a young woman."
She said this time it started in January. She said her husband was sleeping in the indumba with the thwasa and she was not allowed to enter.
"He doesn't sleep with me. Since the beginning of last year, I have not shared the same bed with my husband.
"He tells me that his ancestors have told him that I bring bad luck into his life so he doesn't have clients."
Themba Maseko, the girl's father, said their daughter had an ancestral calling to be a sangoma.
"I was hoping she would be happy after honouring her ancestors," he said.
Themba said when he first got a message to say his daughter was sleeping with the gobela he didn't believe it.
"But my wife went there in March and found him naked, sleeping with my daughter," he said.
He said he complained to the cops, who said the daughter was not under age or kidnapped and there was no case.
Daily Sun spoke to another thwasa who was used in a similar way.
She said the sangoma told her that sleeping with him would make her a strong sangoma and would bring them both luck.
"I accepted sleeping with him because if I had left him I would be cursed forever," she said.
Mtimande Ngwenya, of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, said they received a complaint from the parents of the young girl.
"We destroyed the indumba as a warning to bogus sangomas who take advantage of people. We will bring sangomas to book when they do things like this," said Mtimande.
At the time of going to print, Dawn Park Police said there was no comment.
Source - Daily Sun
