The businesswoman, healer and reality TV star recently spoke at her high school on her calling
KWAZULU-NATAL: The school curriculum for 2024 has started. Learners from all walks of life gather at schools. From different religions; Islamic, Christian, Hindu, and so forth. Among these are those who also practice African spirituality – which in some schools and communities has been seen as ungodly, evil, dirty, and taboo.
Self-made millionaire, traditional healer, philanthropist, and Real Housewives Of Johannesburg reality star, Thobekile Mdlalose hopes to help demystify African spirituality, especially at schools and education institutions where some learners and students find themselves having to advance on a spiritual journey.
Thobekile recently made a much-needed visit to Northlands Girls High School in Durban North where she schooled, to speak on African spirituality as there have been a handful of learners who have experienced calling in the presence of other learners at the school. Her goal was to educate learners on the gift of healing, how to treat those with “a calling” and to remove the stigma of those with the gift of healing.
As a learner who matriculated at the same school, Thobekile feels the obligation to help learners and educators to break the stereotypes around African healing and give back to the community that groomed her.
“People view ubungoma and African spirituality as demonic. That you should not tell others about your gift, or they won’t accept you. That you are satanic Absolutely not true. It’s a gift that brings light and prosperity. The talk is to preach tolerance and acceptance of others' differences,” Mdlalose says.
Growing up, she too was labelled demonic, satanic and evil because of her calling. “I was called dirty and branded all sorts of ungodly names all because of my calling which has been nothing but a gift to me,” she says. “I suffered discrimination form peers until I accepted myself, making it easier for those around me to accept me.” The reality TV star says she wants to remove the stigma and misconcetions around being a healer and sangoma. “We are not evil. Weare not dirty and our purpose is to heal and not destroy. But like in anything, there is both good and back, night and day, good and evil.”
CASE: The family of a 19-year-old sangoma has expressed shock and disgust after their daughter's picture was circulated on social media and news sites as the pupil who took her life in KwaZulu-Natal after her suspension for wearing traditional attire at school.
CASE: In 2022, A 15-year-old sangoma who was a learner at Nombika High School in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal reportedly committed suicide after she was suspended because of her attire.