2013 elections business booming for tinyanga

The hopefuls consult and request to be cleansed and are given good luck charms and concoctions, in their campaign for a seat in Parliament.

Some of the interviewed tinyanga confirmed that business was suprisingly good for them and this was because of the upcoming 2013 elections. They joked that they too should probably pack their bags and join the rush to Parliament because seemingly that is the place to be.

They said some people wanted good luck charms to assist them win a seat. They pointed out that it was a norm in Swazi culture for a person to consult them on any issue. They noted however that the elections was what most people were interested in compared to those coming for personal problems like sickness, marital problems, wanting to get more money, improve their businesses, not wanting their lovers to leave them and so forth.

This is not something new to them as they said the year preceding the election year, is always very busy for them as people come in numbers to consult. The interviewed tinyanga requested only to comment on condition of anonymity lest their clients suspect that they may have exposed them.

They however dispelled that a person can get good luck from human body parts.

"It doesn’t matter how civilised we would like people to think of us. We will always be Africans. People consult us for anything. These days we are flooded with consultations for good luck charms as most want to make it into Parliament next year. I don’t know about others but my charms work best when given time to assimilate into the person’s character and attitude.

"You can’t just use my staff today and expect results tomorrow, which is why I already have clients this year who are preparing for next year’s elections," said one inyanga from Ntondozi.

Another from Kukhanyeni also reported business unusual these days as a result of the elections. He was however also quick to dispel the issue of ritual killings.

 He noted that most of his colleagues in the trade would not easily open up about their operations because good luck charms and rituals for winning parliamentary elections have been long associated with ritual killings.

"Consultation for parliamentary elections has become an under the carpet and a very sensitive matter. Africans have been denied their old age ways of enhancing their chances to win favour from their ancestors. We are too much into the western style of doing things.

"Even though that may be the case, we are still being consulted on daily basis by people who are preparing their campaigns for next year’s elections. However people are no longer open about this as such consultations have been associated with ritual killings.

"Ritual killings are wrong and I personally don’t believe that someone’s blood can make one prosper. The irony into the operations of traditional healers is that like hospitals they also have healing and poisonous remedies. However one should clarify that having a good budget for an election campaign does not guarantee a win but it’s a known fact that traditional healers have the charms to endear the campaign into people’s hearts," he said.

Others who were contacted (not consulted) on the matter are from Matsapha, Ntfonjeni and Sikhu-nyane. They unanimously revealed that they were attending to clients who are preparing for the elections next year.

They acknowledged discreet is the name of the game while also pointing out that both men and women come for consultation.

"In as much as people are not open about the fact that they are consulting us, the truth is that they are and they have been doing that since the inception of elections. People will always choose their own way of doing things," said one of the traditional healers.

"Personally I’m not at ease to comment on this matter. The problem is that parliamentary elections always go together with stories of ritual killings. This then makes it hard for us to be open.

The truth is we have already started assisting the public who would love to make it into Parliament," he said.

The consulting fees differ from one area to another. What was also explained is that the consultation fee is different from the fee for full work. Full work includes getting lucky charms, traditional concoctions to bathe with and so forth.

The least one could expect to pay for consultation is E100.

Comments

Yehhehhe! konakala baphela banftu! asiyi kulolo lukhetfo lwekusontsana asiyi. Hambani mazimu niyodla lamabele ebantfu, nemalwimi konkhe, you are satanic together naletinyanga tenu. Away ngelukhetfo lwetinkhundla asisatifuni sidziniwe, Simakadze akasisite I pray atisenteli lutfo tisiletsela lusizi lodvwa.Sinjenje ngenca yato. Akungayiwa bekunene ngiyacela ngobe kusho kutimbandzakanya nentfo lengasebenti.
Jun 9, 2012, 5:44 AM, happiness shongwe (kozontoko@yahoo.co.uk)

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