SOME of the 34 miners killed in
Thursday’s Marikana mine
massacre may have believed a
Mbizana traditional healer’s muti
had made them invincible,
colleagues said yesterday.
Two survivors of the shooting
told the Daily Dispatch yesterday
they were made to believe that if
they used muti provided by a
Mbizana traditional healer police
bullets would not hurt them.
Thirty-four miners were killed
and at least 78 were wounded
when police opened fire on a
charging crowd at Lonmin’s
platinum mine at Marikana in the
North West last week.
“Our leaders on that day told us
we must leave or we will be
killed,” said Nothi Zimanga, who
hails from Ntabankulu. “We
refused because we knew their
weapons would not work on us
as the inyanga (traditional
healer) who arrived during the
week told us so.”
Zimanga said many of the
miners drank a brown muti to
strengthen them ahead of the
confrontation with police.
“They were cut several times on
their upper body and a black
substance was smeared on the
wounds.
“They were then told when they
confront the police they must
not look back and must just
charge forward. If you look back
then the muti will not work.”
Zimanga said he did not use the
muti, and stayed at the back of
the crowd.
Another miner, Bulelani
Malawana from Mthatha, offered
a similar description of the muti
ceremony, but also turned it
down himself.
“I was offered it for R1000. I
turned it down as I didn’t believe
in it,” he said.
“After they got the muti people
were so aggressive. They just
wanted to fight. They felt so
invincible,” Malawana said.
Academic and political
commentator Somadoda Fikeni
said the use of muti by miners
indicated they still believed in
traditional religion.
“We know every community has
its traditional medicine and
spirituality and that is no
exception for these miners.
Whether it works is another
issue, but it has psychological
effects.
“So when you hear of these
things it reminds us the embrace
of traditional beliefs is still more
widespread than we realise,”
Fikeni said.
The inyanga alleged to have
administered the muti, known in
Mbizana as Nzabe, is renowned
in the area. Several people who
spoke to the Dispatch believe his
treatments are effective.
A taxi driver who declined to be
named said he had used Nzabe’s
muti before and it had worked.
“During the taxi war in the area
three years ago I used the muti
and was never wounded even
when shot at. They just didn’t
use it correctly,” he said.
The taxi driver said it could cost
up to R3000 for a treatment that
lasted for days and not just
hours.
Congress of Traditional Leaders
of South Africa (Contralesa)
president and ANC MP Chief
Phathekile Holomisa told the
Dispatch he saw nothing wrong
with the miners consulting a
traditional healer. “I’m not saying
I condone the use of muti, but
there is nothing wrong,
especially on the side of the
healer.
“If he is genuine and knows
what he is doing to fortify the
warriors … but it is a different
case if he’s a fake .
“He did not say they must go to
war. When the healer was called,
these miners had already taken a
decision to go to war. What was
required from him was to
administer the medicine.”
Holomisa said it was normal for
men to strengthen and fortifying
themselves.
Yesterday, chiefs from the
Eastern Cape House of Traditional
Leaders and their counterparts
from North West arrived in the
Marikana community in an effort
to bring peace to the area.
They were accompanied by a
delegation from Contralesa.
“We meet the miners tomorrow
morning,” Holomisa said.
President Jacob Zuma has
declared a week of national
mourning for the slain miners.
He has also appointed a
committee comprising North
West Premier Thandi Modise and
nine cabinet ministers to co-
ordinate and lead all support to
families and relatives.
Only 27% of the morning-shift
workforce at the mine showed
up for work yester day morning.
Lonmin spokesman Abey Kgotle
said some workers turned up
but didn’t do much. “This is a
reasonably low turn-out, but
probably around what was
expected under the
circumstances,” Kgotle said.
Parliament today convenes a
National Assembly sitting to
discuss the shooting, ANC chief
whip Mathole Motshekga said.
Family members looking for
information on missing loved
ones following the mine violence
last week have been advised to
call 0800-668-690. —
mphumziz@dispatch.co.za

Source.
dispatch.co.za/miners-took-invincible-muti/

some of these people just provide victims for killing.

tpia@:
some of these people just provide victims for killing.

I agree with you.