Traditional healers go virtual

AT THE start of lockdown five months ago, traditional healers demanded that they be recognised as an essential service in order to continue working with their patients.

Under lockdown, one of the strict measures put in place to contain the pandemic was that South Africans were not allowed to leave their homes except to purchase essential goods or report for work, unless you were an essential service worker.

But this did not deter traditional healer Gogo Demezizweni, who said the show had to go on regardless of lockdown.

In keeping with the law, Dumezizweni consults with his patients via cellphone video call.

Dumezizweni has been practising for over 18-months following a training which involved attending traditional healers’ ceremonies, being taught different herbs and how to mix them.

“Times have changed, the world we live in is evolving and we have to evolve with it. Traditional healing is not a stagnant practice which cannot change as times change. We all have to adapt and find other methods of effective practice. People as far as Zimbabwe consult with me and they don’t need to travel for me to help them,” he said.

Dumezizweni said he often emails clients the herbs they require for treatment.

“Sometimes I advise my patients what they need to get in order to get started with the treatment if they are unable to make payment for the herbs,” he said.

According to the sangoma, using this method has meant he was not adversely affected by lockdown.

“My clients make a telephonic booking and they make payment before I consult with them. Ancestors work in mysterious ways. I started working like this in September last year already so when lockdown started, it was business as usual for me,” he said.

Dumezizweni could not go into detail about his consultations and how he connects with the spirits on a video call.

”I never thought I would be a sangoma, but when the calling hits you, there is no turning back. I am a musician, even now I am working on my Gqom album, so why can the traditional and western world not collide? If my ancestors had a problem with it they would have indicated that to me, because we get guidance and leadership from them,” he added.

While some see the possibility of online consultations, others have doubts on how the sangoma would connect with the spirits through a video call.

“If I am in Khayelitsha and the sangoma is in Nyanga, how will he access my spirits and connect with my ancestors if we are not in the same room?” said patient Sonwabile Gambu.

Gambu was sceptical about using new technology for healing.

“It just does not make sense to me and I prefer to do things the old way so I would not consult via video call,” said Gambu.