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Traditional doctors and spiritual healers are
alive and well in South Africa. You will find it
hard to find an African in South Africa who has not
used one or the other in their recent past.
The Mai Mai bazaar is the oldest market in
Johannesburg - dedicated to traditional herbs and
healers.
 The
sickly of the city flock here to have their ills,
physical and spiritual, divined and treated by
traditional healers.
According to Bhekabantu Ngema, a 58-year old "inyanga"
(traditional doctor) who has lived in Mai Mai since
1967, patients should ideally come to inyangas with
the knowledge of what muti they want.
"Otherwise," says Ngema, "they should start by
consulting sangomas (spiritual healers and
traditional seers) who can determine the nature of
the problem. Only then can we as healers help with
the appropriate medicine, or help establish contact
with your ancestors."
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Sangomas, says Mkhwanazi, normally detect two
kinds of bad luck. One is inflicted through
witchcraft, usually by a jealous rival, the other is
caused by unhappy ancestors. It is here that
patients are counselled to slaughter a beast to
appease and rekindle relations with the ancestors.
 "In other words, sangomas diagnose and
prescribe, while we inyangas generally heal,
although we can also prescribe, depending on the
nature of the problem or whether our ancestors give
us the power to help a patient," explains Ngema.
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