MANY of those who find themselves or relatives on the wrong side of the law resort to consulting with traditional healers in the hope that cases will “go away”.
In the highly publicised case involving alleged contract killers currently being heard in the East London High Court, the first accused, Vuyani Sibanda, is believed to be a sangoma.
Evidence before court in this case suggests that before his arrest he practised as a traditional healer.
The matter has been on trial for more than two years and has been postponed for various reasons. Rumours persist that Sibanda is “working” the case to ensure it does not conclude. Sibanda has never confirmed this.
East London-based lawyer Ntsikelelo Manyisane said it was not uncommon for lay people to consult with traditional healers hoping their cases would be postponed – or even thrown out. “Cases get postponed for various reasons, including electricity going off and court machinery being faulty. Lawyers, prosecutors or magistrates may have personal problems.
“There could be strikes within the justice system – all of these reasons can lead to matters being postponed,” he said, adding that none of these can be attributed to the intervention of sangomas.
Manyisane said people often said acquittals were due to the work of traditional healers.
“An accused can be acquitted because the case was poorly investigated or the state has failed to produce sufficient evidence against the accused or the defence attorney’s preparation paid off in that regard. Those cannot be linked to the success of a sangoma,” he added. Department of justice and constitutional development spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said he did not believe consulting with traditional healers had any influence on the day to day running of the justice system.
“Some believe it works. Some go to court clutching things from the sangoma. Having prosecuted in all levels of court, I do not believe it works in court,” he said. “If evidence against an accused, they will be convicted,” he added.
Zwelitsha Mantyityana, a practising traditional healer in Ngcobo, said people came to him asking him to make cases go away. He charges clients R2500, an amount only payable after the job is done. In an interview with the Daily Dispatch, he explained that lawmakers dealt with evidence and paperwork and there would be no case without these.
“I make dockets go away. It does not matter even if the investigating officers have locked them away I will get them. Once the matter goes to court they will have to postpone it because the docket is gone. After 21 days, if the docket is still missing, the prosecutor will have to get the court to drop the case,” he said.
He boasted he was so good that, if asked to, he could make Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial go away. Anthropologist Dr Luvuyo Ntombana of the University of Fort Hare said the idea that sangomas could help a court outcome stemmed from traditional beliefs.
“Generally a lot of people consult with traditional healers before going to medical doctors or going to court. The tradition is associated with history. People are interested in the mystery that surrounds it,” he said. Ntombana said it was not just the uneducated who consulted sangomas, they did a fair amount of business with professionals too.
Dr Nokuzola Mndende, director of the Icamagu Institute, which researches African culture and religion, said although many believed in the power of traditional healers, this belief was useless when it came to court proceedings.
“The outcome of court cases has nothing to do with the strength or weakness of a traditional healer. The people there work with evidence and facts,” she said.
“With that said, I know people believe in going to traditional healers and getting amayeza wokufutha, woku hlamba noku hlafuna (muti to steam with, to wash with and to chew on). “— siyab@dispatch.co.za
Sangomas offer muti to ’cure’ legal woes
In the highly publicised case involving alleged contract killers currently being heard in the East London High Court, the first accused, Vuyani Sibanda, is believed to be a sangoma.
Evidence before court in this case suggests that before his arrest he practised as a traditional healer.
The matter has been on trial for more than two years and has been postponed for various reasons. Rumours persist that Sibanda is “working” the case to ensure it does not conclude. Sibanda has never confirmed this.
East London-based lawyer Ntsikelelo Manyisane said it was not uncommon for lay people to consult with traditional healers hoping their cases would be postponed – or even thrown out. “Cases get postponed for various reasons, including electricity going off and court machinery being faulty. Lawyers, prosecutors or magistrates may have personal problems.
“There could be strikes within the justice system – all of these reasons can lead to matters being postponed,” he said, adding that none of these can be attributed to the intervention of sangomas.
Manyisane said people often said acquittals were due to the work of traditional healers.
“An accused can be acquitted because the case was poorly investigated or the state has failed to produce sufficient evidence against the accused or the defence attorney’s preparation paid off in that regard. Those cannot be linked to the success of a sangoma,” he added. Department of justice and constitutional development spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said he did not believe consulting with traditional healers had any influence on the day to day running of the justice system.
“Some believe it works. Some go to court clutching things from the sangoma. Having prosecuted in all levels of court, I do not believe it works in court,” he said. “If evidence against an accused, they will be convicted,” he added.
Zwelitsha Mantyityana, a practising traditional healer in Ngcobo, said people came to him asking him to make cases go away. He charges clients R2500, an amount only payable after the job is done. In an interview with the Daily Dispatch, he explained that lawmakers dealt with evidence and paperwork and there would be no case without these.
“I make dockets go away. It does not matter even if the investigating officers have locked them away I will get them. Once the matter goes to court they will have to postpone it because the docket is gone. After 21 days, if the docket is still missing, the prosecutor will have to get the court to drop the case,” he said.
He boasted he was so good that, if asked to, he could make Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial go away. Anthropologist Dr Luvuyo Ntombana of the University of Fort Hare said the idea that sangomas could help a court outcome stemmed from traditional beliefs.
“Generally a lot of people consult with traditional healers before going to medical doctors or going to court. The tradition is associated with history. People are interested in the mystery that surrounds it,” he said. Ntombana said it was not just the uneducated who consulted sangomas, they did a fair amount of business with professionals too.
Dr Nokuzola Mndende, director of the Icamagu Institute, which researches African culture and religion, said although many believed in the power of traditional healers, this belief was useless when it came to court proceedings.
“The outcome of court cases has nothing to do with the strength or weakness of a traditional healer. The people there work with evidence and facts,” she said.
“With that said, I know people believe in going to traditional healers and getting amayeza wokufutha, woku hlamba noku hlafuna (muti to steam with, to wash with and to chew on). “— siyab@dispatch.co.za
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