Times Of Swaziland: MARCHING WITH CASKET ON STREETS A DEATH WISH - MAKHANYA

MARCHING WITH CASKET ON STREETS A DEATH WISH - MAKHANYA
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Sibusiso Shange on 29/06/2022 08:49:00


MBABANE - Marching with empty caskets or coffins on the streets means a wish for
more deaths.
This is an observation by the Witchdoctors Association of Eswatini, following
sentiments shared by Pastor T.H Mahlalela. When addressing people in attendance
at the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) meeting held at Mathendele Community Hall
in Nhlangano last Saturday, Mahlalela was quoted having said a petition had to
be delivered to the Prime Minister’s Office in remembrance of the people who
survived the June 29, 2021 massacre.  He said they would carry caskets in
remembrance of the lives that were lost last year.
Petition
“We want to deliver the petition together with the caskets in Mbabane. We will
be led by the survivors of lasts years’ massacre,” Mahlalela was quoted
saying before encouraging all those who would attend to brace themselves for
anything. In response to Mahlalela’s sentiments, Chairman of the Witchdoctors
Association Makhanya Makhanya, said a person could march with an empty casket on
the streets only if he/she wished for more deaths. He said the question would be
‘who was wanted dead? “Basiphahla ini, kumele kufe bani ngoba kujangaza
nelibhokisi esitaladini kusho kutsi kufa akukeneli; futsi usakufisa kutsi
kwenteke? Kuhlala njalo uhlolotela kufa ngekwenta kwakho sikutsatsa ngekutsi
butsakatsi noma isatanism,” Makhanya said in vernacular. Which is loosely
translated to: “What do they wish for. Who do they want dead, because marching
with an empty casket on the streets is a wish for more deaths? It means the one
making that wish is not satisfied with the deaths. To wish for more deaths by an
action is an act of witchcraft or satanism.”
It should be noted that a report from the Human Rights Commission pointed out
that 46 people died during the unrest which culminated in looting, burning and
vandalism of properties across the country last year. Government had on numerous
occasions stated that investigations into the deaths were ongoing as it was not
yet apportioned to anyone. Mhalalela further stated that they would hold a
prayer at Mahhala, close to Eswatini Beverages, where he said some people were
injured during last year’s June/July political unrest. He also stated that
they would ‘fetch’ the souls of the people, whom he claimed were killed, as
it was culture that souls of the deceased were fetched from the spot where they
had died. In reaction to this, Makhanya said in as much as it was culture to
fetch souls of the deceased from the spot where they had their last breathe
there were people who were responsible for doing that. He said souls of the dead
were not fetched by strangers but the families of the deceased.
Deceased
“One has to understand the whole exercise when fetching a soul of a deceased
person. It has to be family members who will call the deceased by name and tell
him/her what is happening. The family also has to communicate with the ancestors
before taking the soul home. This exercise is not a joke and people should not
take advantage of it, to mock the bereaved families. I believe the bereaved
families have long fetched the souls of their loved ones, and diverted them to
their resting places,” he said. Makhanya also warned that one had to seek and
get permission from government before he/she was seen performing rituals on a
public road. He said any act conducted on government’s property without
permission was a punishable offence. “We also have a concern about the souls
which are wandering at Malagwane, but we cannot just remove them from the public
road without permission from government,” he said. He further asked, what the
pastor had to do with politics, as his was to preach about the Kingdom of God
which was about to come?