LIMPOPO MIRROR
27 February 2015 13
By Tshifhiwa Mukwevho
Healer wants to cure prostitutes and the mentally ill A 52-year-old traditional healer has a vision to heal all the mentally disabled persons who roam the towns’ streets and render all Dzithangani’s sex workers marriageable candidates. Not everyone, however, agrees that mental sicknesses can be healed with traditional medicines and spiritual powers. All that maine Vho-Thikhathali “Skhathi” Nndwambi asks for, is that the municipality assist him and give him permission to continue with his work. “If the municipality or government can find a house and collect all mentally ill persons in that house, I will happily come and heal all those people, at no cost,” maine Vho-Nndwambi said. Vho-Nndwambi, a resident of Madombidzha village, said his heart was broken one busy afternoon when a mentally ill person was nearly knocked down by a
car. “He just sauntered across the street, without any care about speeding cars,” he said. “Two speeding cars nearly hit him, and his disturbance almost caused an accident which would have included three more cars. I felt pity for him and all other persons who suffer like him.” He then decided to use his spiritual powers and healing knowledge, which span more than 46 years, to heal all the mentally ill persons who live as hobos in Louis Trichardt. “I have potent medicines and spiritual powers,” he said, empathy written on his face. “All those people who sniff glue and attack people are not doing so for fun; they are possessed by evil spirits who control them.” He added that some of the mentally ill persons had been living on the streets for about 30 years. “Their families need them, but they are violent and uncontrollable,”
he said. Vho-Nndwambi claims that he has powers to turn all prostitutes who sell their bodies at Dzithangani into marriageable women. “The municipality should just gather them into one house and see if I cannot help solve the problem of prostitution in our town. Do you think that the families of prostitutes are happy wherever they are, knowing that their daughter or daughters are selling their bodies?” He continued to speak patiently and passionately about his vision, spiritual powers, and potent medicines. “I started practising traditional African healing at the age of six, and I was formally initiated as a traditional healer when I turned nine years old,” he explained. “I have experience.” He claimed to have visited the Makhado Municipality in August last year. Unfortunately, he did not know whom to approach or how to address his vision to assist within the municipality. Makhado Municipality’s spokesperson, Mr Louis Bobodi, said that Vho-Nndwambi had to apply to the council as the council had a land-use policy. The Department of Health’s spokesperson, Mr Macks Lesufi, said Vho-Nndwambi must link up with health co-ordinators in the district and see how best they could work together. “Some patients are dangerous and our health centres know how to treat and bring them under control,” he said. “We are in no position to bring patients into one house for him to treat them. Mental health is a complicated field – and as such, we have an act which governs us.” Maine Vho-Thikhathali “Skhathi” Nndwambi is ready to do his duty.
By Phathutshedzo Luvhengo
Drama questions people’s compassion for the living The concept of selfishness and how it affects the innocent and the poor is one of the aspects raised by author Nkhangweni Tshiovhe in his latest book, Some episodes of life. The drama describes the life of an indigent mother of two who battles to survive, following the death of her husband. She has to ask for food from neighbours and rich people to survive and support her children. On most occasions she gets left out and is denied food, until one of her children dies because of hunger. Nkhangweni Tshiovhe describes his
latest drama as a work that interrogates the human attitude of selfishness. He was intrigued by the fact that people are prepared to do a lot after someone’s death, but not much before that. He then decided to craft a narrative which he hopes will reprimand society and show up people’s selfishness. The 54-year-old author from Mavhunga village in Nzhelele believes that even the smallest acts of giving and kindness can make a world of difference and could mean the difference between life and death. “I wanted to send a message that
people have developed a habit of doing good things to the deceased, but when they are still alive, these same people don’t care about them,” he said. Tshiovhe’s writing inspiration began in 2008 when he wrote a TV drama titled: Husina mvalo (Rotten conscience) and this was aired on Soweto TV. His short drama, Some episodes of life, is available at Guyo Book Store in Louis Trichardt, Mbuye bookshop in Thohoyandou, Mangalani book store in Dzananani (Biaba) Township as well as an e-book on Amazon and Kalahari.
Some episodes of life is a short drama by Nkhangweni Tshiovhe. Nkhangweni Tshiovhe hopes his book will help restore human values.
Archbishop Miriri (third from right) pays his last respects to his loving daughter during her funeral service. By Elmon Tshikhudo
Archbishop mourns daughter Archbishop Elias Miriri of the United African Apostolic Church (UAAC) described the death of his daughter, Khathutshelo Miriri-Maiwashe, as a big blow to the church and the family. Khathu passed on last week after a short, but unspecified, illness. Miriri and his wife Elisa took turns when they spoke fondly of the good days they had had with their daughter. Khathu was buried on Saturday during a moving service at Vuwani. The entire leadership of the UAAC and branches from as far as Gauteng came to pay their respects to the dedicated daughter of their leader. Miriri said the death of his daughter saddened him as he had to cancel a trip to Gauteng where he was due to address a youth conference. “Khathu was the darling of my heart. She loved me so much that she spent her first pay by spoiling me. She was also my pillar of strength in the
church, and in her I saw a leader.” Khathu was born in 1979 at Siloam in the Nzhelele area. She did her primary education at Rasivhetshele in the Vuwani area and completed her Grade 12 at Edson Nesengani Secondary, also in Vuwani, before proceeding to Technikon SA where she completed an IT diploma.She later did training as a nurse, which she completed in 2013. She is survived by her parents, husband, three children and a brother and sister.
The late Khathu Miriri-Maiwashe, who was buried at the weekend.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Louis Trichardt recently received a welcome donation of a brand new water pump at their kennels. The new pump was donated and installed by local company Water 2000. “We really appreciate their kind and thoughtful gesture,” said animal inspector Mr Lawrence Khodobo. He said the SPCA was struggling to keep kennels clean and tidy, due to very low water pressure, and that the new water pump would go a long way to help them fulfil their duties. “Thanks to all who played a part in facilitating this donation.” Photo supplied.