Kuningi okuyaye kushiwo ngabantu abayizangoma. Okunye kwalokhu kuhle. Okunye kakunambitheki kahle. Abanye bake bakhombisa ukwenama ngokusizakala ekukhanyisekeni kwendlela yabo uma beya ezangomeni, kanti abanye bakholelwa ukuthi izangoma zingabathakathi.
Ngike ngathola ithuba lokuxoxisana noMnu. Kulunga Khwela, ngenhloso yokwazi kabanzi ngobuNgoma. UMnu. Khwela uyisangoma esizinze eThekwini ngokuhlala.
Awuke ufunde nawe, ngezansi, uthole ulwazi:
Nkosikhona Duma (ND): Sicela uqale ngokusixoxela nje ukuthi umuntu ufika kanjani esimweni sokuba isangoma?
Kulunga Khwela (KK): UbuNgoma okanye ubuNyanga into ozalwa uyembethe. Uzalwa unabantu abadala egazini lakho. OGogo noMkhulu (i/amaDlozi) bakho bayazi impilo yomzukulu wabo esayiqanda. Bebese beyihlenga beyiqondisa beyinanela ngakhona ingane. Inhliziyo nezenzo nayo yonke into eyenziwa ingane isuke kuwukuthanda kweDlozi lakhe. IDlozi alikhethi kuba uwumfana or ntombazane lifuna umzukulu nje noma ngabe ubulili yibuphi.
Uma ingane isikhula ikhula ihluphe, igange ingakhuzeki iphuphe izinto ihluke nje ngokuphelela kunezinye izingane. Ihlupheke emphefumulweni ingabi nokuthula igule kungaziwa iphethwe yini. Uma inyama isilungile, umqondisi wayo uyavela, phecelezi: ‘When the student is ready the master shows up’, ngalokhu sithi iDlozi alizivezi kuze kufike esikhathini esithize lapho selosho khona kuthi lifuna ukuthi uthathe isi/izikhwama zalo uqhubeke nomsebenzi. Ilapho uzoya khona eNtwasweni/ophehlweni (initiation) lapho uyofunda khona ukulalela nokuzwa izwi leDlozi lakho ufunda imithi nakho konke okumele ukwazi ukuze ulaphe abantu.
ND: Imiphi imigomo umuntu oyisangoma okumele ayilandele uma esebenzisana nabantu?
KK: Ilula imigomo odokotela bamajazi amhlophe (western doctors) ithi esikukhuluma la kusala la. Ngokunjalo ke nakwiSintu sethu. Yonke into ekhulunywa esigodlweni (indlu yokulaphela) isala khona. Siyahlonipha izindaba zabantu asehluleli asikhulumi ngaye komunye/kwabanye abantu.
ND: Hlobo luni losizo abantu abangaluthola kubantu abayizangoma?
KK: Uma uya eSangomeni uthola usizo olubanzi kakhulu.
Okokuqala nje selapha ukukhathazeka komphefumulo. Okwesibili, selapha umuntu obuthakathaka enyameni, imeqo, ikhanda, ukusindelwa, ukukhathala, amaphupho amabi, ukuhlaselwa abantu, ukukhafulwa, ukubethela igceke, ukuqinisa umuzi, ukugeza abantu, ukulahla isilwane, imimoya, ukuthandazela umuntu njalonjalo.
ND: Kukhona obona sengathi abantu abaningi kabawuqondi ngomsebenzi wezangoma? Ngabe yini lokhu? Nokuthi yini kahle kahle abantu okumele bayiqonde ngabantu abayizangoma?
KK: Abantu abayizangoma abantu abangodokotela abasemandulo. Balapha ngesintu. Akusibona abathakathi. Abantu abayizangoma basebenza ngamaDlozi (abantu abakubo nabo ababeyizangoma esebashiya inyama). Thina baNgoma sisuke siyalelwe iDlozi lethu. Ayikho into esiyisusela ekhanda futhi wonke umsebenzi wethu usebenzisa imithi bezihlahla nezimpande zasemhlabeni.
UMngoma umelaphi wesizwe esimnyama (noma-ke abanye belulapha olunye uhlangothi amaNdiya nabelungu) kodwa ubuNgoma into eyabekelwa thina bantu abansundu. UMngoma uphilisa isizwe ngokukamoya/ngokomphefumulo nangokwenyama. Asisibona abathakathi!
ND: Yini umehluko phakathi kwesangoma nenyanga?
KK: Inyanga umelaphi othi uma ufika kuyena umchazele inkinga yakho bese akunike lokho okokuqondisa kuleyo ndawo. Isangoma umphrofethi nombhuli wezinkinga. Ufika kuye ungaphilile ungazazi uphethwe tini, isangoma sishise impepho sikhulume nabantu bakini kube yibo abasitshelayo kuthi ngabe yini le ehlukumeza umphefumulo noma inyama yomzukulu wabo.
Article overview
There are many misconceptions about indigenous healers whom are referred to izangoma and izinyanga in IsiZulu depending on their speciality. While many rural dwellers and a sizeable number of African urban residents still consult and highly regard indigenous healers, history and western modernity has sought to denigrate their relevance among African people. So much so that even Google Translate posits the word ‘witch’ as the equivalent of the Zulu word ‘izangoma’, further perpetuating the detestable myth that indigenous healers practise dark magic.
The author of the article interviewed Mr. Kulunga Khwela, Durban native and dweller who is also a sangoma who details the work of indigenous healers and separates fact from fiction in regard to the work of indigenous healers, through a Q & A style article.