THE family of a 17-year-old sangoma's demanding justice.
The young sangoma said she was molested and sexually abused by her uncle, who's a gobela in Hammanskraal in Tshwane, while taking her through the journey of ukuthwasa.
The parents now want the gobela to rot in jail after what was done to the child.
The 17-year-old from Marokolong in Hammanskraal went to train as a sangoma at the tender age of 12 at her aunt and uncle's house as they're both izangoma, but her ancestral journey turned ugly.
Mum's relative breaks her trust
The 49-year-old mum of the teen girl said she trusted her relative and gave her consent to train her daughter to become a sangoma.
She said in April 2019, her daughter was being bothered by ancestors on Good Friday while at church. She said she started by saying she was seeing darkness inside church.
"Our ancestors told us during a consultation in May 2020 that we mustn't worry because my daughter will take her bag and go for training. Indeed, in July 2020, she went to train as a sangoma at a relative's house.
"On 23 October 2020, she graduated as a sangoma," she said.
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Ceremony turns ugly
She said on 5 December 2020, she organised a ceremony to welcome her back. She said her daughter started falling and would occasionally see the face of her uncle, who is sangoma and would have nightmares, in January 2021.
She told me her uncle would approach her at night, hold her hand and sexually abuse her in a dream.
"I want them to pay for what they did to my daughter," she said.
She said her daughter tried to commit suicide three times because of the trauma she was going through after what her uncle did to her.
"I almost lost a child, and I want justice. I want both to rot in jail," she said.
She said her daughter told her that during her training, her uncle would tell her he loved her and wanted to make her his second wife because she didn't love her aunt anymore.
Teen girl speaks
"My uncle looked at me as if I was a woman, not a child. He would call me sweetheart, darling, babe yaka, he will touch my buttocks and breast," she said.
She said he would close her mouth so that she didn't scream when doing his evil deeds to her.
"I even told my aunt, and she apologised to me and told me that we must keep it to our secrets. I will never forgive him for his evil acts," she said.
She said that in September 2022, she broke the sad news to her mother.
"I want to see my uncle rot in jail. He is an evil sangoma. My aunt is also evil because she protected her evil husband, who was sexually abusing me," she said.
She said that her uncle did some of the things to her inside the indumba.
She said that she is scared to walk on the streets because her uncle is out on bail. The teenager said she was happy that she completed her ancestral calling.
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Organisation calls for action
President of African Dingaka Organisation, Andrew Somo, said the child was still too young to train as a sangoma. He encouraged parents not to allow children younger than 21 to train as izangoma.
"Taking a child to be trained by a relative always comes with bad results. Relatives take advantage of the clients," he said. Somo further said izangoma who abuse children or others must be banned from practising.
Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that a case of rape was opened at Temba Police Station.
He said the case was referred to the family violence, child protection and sexual offences Unit for further investigation.
"The suspect was arrested and charged with rape and appeared before Temba Magistrates Court," he said.
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