thing that fixates your eyes on her, but also her
expensive weave resting on her shoulders and lips
glistening with gloss. You were assured by your
friends that she’s the real deal though, and the
beaded chains around her neck, as well as the red
and white beads wrapping her arms, put you at ease.
While some people might raise their eyebrows in
surprise at the thought of consulting a traditional
healer wearing killer lashes and glistening make-
up, many are warming up to what is called a glam
dlozi — a modern-day traditional healer who is as
glamorous as she’s spiritually inclined.
There are a number of millennial sangomas
who are changing the face or even our perception
of this vocation that has been around for as long
as our African history has existed. For example,
take South Africa’s media personality and rapper,
Boity Thulo, who had tongues wagging when she
took to social media three years ago announcing
that she would be heeding her ancestral calling.
In one of her 2016 Instagram posts, she captioned
an image of herself wearing traditional ancestral
clothing in a rural setting, “They called. I answered.
The proudest, most incredible day of my life. A
beautiful gift that I will never take for granted.
#ThokozaGogo #KgosigadiDabulamanzi...”
Three years later, she hasn’t been let off the
hook by doubtful on-lookers continuing to question
her. She even started a debate around Christianity
and ancestral calling when she tweeted earlier
this year, “Not sure who Abraham is, but I’m very
certain who my great x 3 parents are.” After an
exchange of heated words, she then wrote, “If
you’re going to try and demonise me for believing
in my ancestors and the journey they have placed
me on, you’re wasting your time. And stop trying
to send me to get reprimanded by white Jesus
who claims the people who birthed my family are
demons. Asomblief. Thanks.” Whether you choose
to believe Boity or not, she has been vocal about her
calling to a point where she even rapped, “Bare wa
thwasa mara bona o rata strata wa mmona (They
say she’s training to be a sangoma but look, she’s
always gallivanting on the streets)”, in her latest
single, Bakae — a line that seems to suggest that
a sangoma must stay put and not have a life. Boity
is a sangoma that puts much glam to her gram.
THE MISCONCEPTIONS
Many South Africans consult sangomas on
a regular basis. In fact, an article published
by Business Tech in June 2018 said just under
400 000 people are using traditional healers as their
primary healthcare providers. But for whatever
reason, people do seek the help and guidance from
their ancestors through traditional healers. Still,
there have been misconceptions that many have
had about dlozis — one of them being how they
should look. Like manyotherpeople,29-year-old
Thembisile Nkosi* fromJohannesburg,saysshe
consults with a sangomatocommunicatewithher
ancestors and to cleanseherselffromanyformof
bad spirit when she feelsthingsarenotgoingher
way. “Honestly, I grew upina familywhoconsulted
and the traditional healerswewenttohavealways
dressed the same — in theirwhiteandredattires—
and even walked barefoot.I trustplainandolder
traditional healers morethantheglamorousones
because I personally feelliketheymakeitlooklike
a lifestyle rather than acalling,”shesays.
Kwenzekile Mngoma,a 30-year-oldself-
proclaimed glamorousdloziwhohasmorethan
22 000 followers on Instagramandhailsfrom
Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal,believesthatthere’sno
such thing as a prescribedlookforherasa sangoma.
“Actually, we live in differentgenerationsthanour
ancestors. I’m sure if myancestorslivedinthis
generation ngabe baphilanjengami(theywould
live like me),” she says.
Former Generationsactressandsinger,Letoya
Makhene, also shares,“Fromgeneralpublic
perception, people thinksangomasshoulddress
in traditional attire or ina certainway.ButI dress
any way I feel representsme.”Joburg-basedGogo
Dineo Ndlanzi, who alsoboastsmorethan 40000
followers on Instagram,aswellasmorethan4 000
subscribers on Youtube,addsthatthere’sa common
misinterpretation thattraditionalhealersshould
look scruffy and even demonic.
Furthermore, she saysthatthoseexpectations
stem from how the imageofwhosangomasarehas
been distorted in recenttimes.“Withthatsaid,there
are a lot of traditionalhealerswhoyouwouldn’t
even recognise as healersbecausetheydon’thave
to wear beads or anything,”shesays.“Butthere’sa
deeper meaning as to whywewearthethingswe
wear and do the thingswedo,dependingonwhich
initiation school onegoesto.Peoplemustalso
understand that anyonecanbuybeadsanddress
up like a sangoma eventhoughthey’renotbecause
we don’t have to producepermitstopractise.That’s
why I believe in the significanceofa homegoing
ceremony, where one issenthomeafterinitiation
and has their family announcetothecommunity
that they have broughthomea qualifiedhealer.
That’s also one of thewaysinwhichpeoplecan
tell whether one is an authentichealer.”CHANGING THE FACEOFUBUNGOMA
A number of young SouthAfricancelebritieshave
given us a glimpse intotheirancestralcallingand
the lifestyle they chooseontheirsocialmedia
platforms. Their influencehassomehowopened
up a conversation abouthowyoungtraditional
healers are changing thefaceofthiscalling.In
her 2016 radio interviewwithAzaniaMosakaWe
live in
different
generations
than our
ancestors.
I’m sure
if my
ancestors
lived in this
generation
ngabe
baphila nje
ngamiWWW.TRUELOVE.CO.ZA (^) |^2019 OCTOBER (^) | (^85)
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