AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT AFRICAN SPIRITUALITY

THE SPIRITUAL REALM HAS TWO DUALITIES, healing and black magic. It’s not uncommon to refer to a traditional healer as a witch doctor, which stems from a lack of knowledge that breeds fear.

- Thobeka Phanyeko

For this reason, people often confuse ukuthwasa and ukuthwala, even though the terms are entirely unrelated, the former based on healing and the latter on gaining riches by tapping into the supernatural. Here, we open up the conversation to traditional healers Gogo Dineo Ndlanzi, Mkhulu Thamsanqa, and best-selling author of the Bare series Jackie Phamotse who’s conducted extensive research on the topic of ukuthwala

THE POPULARITY OF MODERN SANGOMAS IS GRADUALLY LIFTING THE VEIL OF SECRECY AROUND AFRICAN SPIRITUALITY, and conversations around culture and religion have taken centre stage. The move towards representation and inclusivity has also sparked curiosity amongst Africans, millennials and Gen Z alike, who’re asking questions about their lineage, history and African identity pre-colonisation. The role of Christianity is also being questioned as Africans grapple with the idea of self. Others have found freedom in reconnecting with their ancestral roots. At the core of these relevant conversations is a very real angst, which can also be described as a fear of the unknown. We cling onto what we know because it defines us and how we negotiate our value in the world.