SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Sangomas, the traditional medicine men and women of Southern Africa, predict that a North European team will win the World Cup
Record ID:
455869
SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Sangomas, the traditional medicine men and women of Southern Africa, predict that a North European team will win the World Cup
- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Sangomas, the traditional medicine men and women of Southern Africa, predict that a North European team will win the World Cup
- Date: 24th June 2010
- Summary: MUTETI, NEAR PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 27, 2010) (REUTERS) SANGOMAS, TRADITIONAL MEDICINE MEN AND WOMEN, DANCING AT A RITUAL SANGOMA PLACE IN MUTETI NEAR PRETORIA STAMPING FEET SANGOMA DANCING, VARIOUS TRADITIONAL DRUMS, VARIOUS DANCING SANGOMA, VARIOUS
- Embargoed: 9th July 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA99FCQ5ZNLD6JD95KR1H1NA2AZ
- Story Text: On the dusty steppes in the village of Muteti, near Pretoria, South Africa can be found, amongst the trees and bushes, a traditional thatched house known as an ndumba - the home of a Sangoma, a traditional healer.
These mystical healers have for years practiced their arts in large areas of Southern Africa. Highly respected in their communities, they use traditional healing methods whereby they connect with their ancestors, using their collective wisdom to help with the healing process. Other arts practised by the Sangomas include predicting the future.
On this particular Sunday morning (June 27), men and women Sangomas in traditional clothes danced in front of the ndumba after being asked to predict who might win the World Cup.
The jungle-drum beat faster and faster before Sangoma Mr. Masemula throws a collection of small animal bones, shells and other objects onto the German national flag. The ancestors are said to control how they land and the Sangoma interprets what this can mean to predict the future.
After Masemula deliberated with the other Sangomas, another Sangoma, Mbalgwa Montau, said:
"The Netherlands, Germany. I think that one of the teams of the North side will win the World Cup."
This prediction was made hours before Germany progressed to the quarter-finals after beating England 4-1.
When asked if it was possible that a Sangoma could influence the incidents at the World Cup, Montau said:
"We need those players, who play soccer and their coaches. Not the supporters. We need the people here, so we can give them medicine, so that they can do that.
"We can do many things for them. We can bring them luck and they even can take the World Cup, if they do believe in our culture, in what we do, than they can do it," he added. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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