Zimbabwean sangomas a hit in South Africa

WITH traditional medicines fast growing popular in today's world it would come as no surprise to witness and experience a surge in numbers of traditional healers.

Today, while Zimbabwe is flooded with foreign traditional healers, mostly from Malawi, Tanzania, Angola and Zambia, all claiming to possess a power unique from the other and can cure any ailment; South Africa is ironically faced with the same predicament. Only in this instance it is Zimbabweans flocking to the country to practise the trade.

For a country that has strong beliefs in tradition, it is not at all surprising that many Zimbabwean traditional healers are setting up shops in many parts of South Africa.

Many of these self-proclaimed Zimbabwean traditional healers claim to be powerful healers hailing from Binga and Chipinge, areas known or perceived to be home to mighty traditional healers in Zimbabwe.

To lure their clients some of the healers use catch phrases on their posters such as "Prophet Mpofu from Binga . . . see your enemy in the mirror".

Despite this sounding far-fetched and a little too hilarious to believe but it is a trending and phenomenal trade in neighbouring South Africa, where the majority of people strongly believe in the culture and tradition — witchcraft to be precise.

Most of these traditional healers operate in central Joburg at Joubert Park, as they cannot afford to rent offices in the CBD.

"I operate from the park, where I spend the day waiting for clients to call or come by. I charge a consultation fee of 100 rand. For any other stuff that needs to be done I hardly charge an extra fee but if the need arises I do," said Prophet Mpofu, whose posters were glued up on most of the walls.

A general walk in the streets of Johannesburg, one would be left dazed at the number of posters of various Zimbabweans (if legitimate) claiming to be powerful "nyangas that can heal anything".

In a series of interviews some South Africans and Zimbabweans said the reason there were many traditional healers from Zimbabwe in the country was because they believed foreign healers were much more powerful than locals.

"They come with different medicines and are less corrupt than the locals. They have unique powers and really do heal," said one Sibanda.

Another man was for the idea that these healers had left a void in Zimbabwe, which was now being filled by foreign traditional healers.

"You see there are a lot of Zimbabwean traditional healers here in South Africa. They have left a huge void in Zimbabwe and that is why you find that there are a lot of these foreign traditional healers," said John Mncube.

A Nigerian national living in South Africa said he strongly believed in Zimbabwean traditional healers, particularly those from the Binga and Chipinge areas.

"These are powerful healers, when I was experiencing problems I was advised to visit Zimbabwe and go to either Binga or Chipinge. When I got there I was taken to places that I never thought existed and was advised to carry out some rituals. After I did that all my woes were a thing of the past.

"However, I do question the ones that are working here in South Africa.

There are a lot of con people here and it raises a lot of questions when they claim to be powerful and are based here. Don't they draw their power from where their source is," questioned the Nigerian who preferred his name not be mentioned in the paper.

Another man however, brushed the whole thing as a scam, labelling the healers as a bunch of phonies and scam artistes.

"You know, when life takes a tumble, while you are living in a foreign country sometimes you have to think fast to bring food to your table. In this instance there are a lot of these traditional healers that are making easy and fast cash from people.

"The ones that place adverts on the walls of buildings and bins are daring. Their surnames and the places they claim to come from are contradictory. Have you ever heard of a Bhebhe or Sibanda from Chipinge?" he said.