“Zimbabweans Don’t Respect Nature”: South African Sangoma Blames Zimbabweans’ ‘Ritual Practices’ for Causing Victoria Falls to Dry Up

Sangoma Blames Zimbabweans’ ‘Ritual Practices and Lack of Respect for Nature’ for Causing Victoria Falls to Dry Up

South African sangoma Samukelisiwe Mtheku Thabethe has courted ire after claiming that the drying up of Victoria Falls is not a natural phenomenon but a consequence of Zimbabweans’ ritual practices and disrespect for water bodies and their spiritual significance.

Thabethe’s claims came in light of the ongoing environmental concerns surrounding the iconic falls.

Criticism of Zimbabweans’ Ritual Practices

In a Facebook post, Samukelisiwe Thabethe claimed that the drying up of Victoria Falls is not a natural occurrence but rather the result of Zimbabweans’ disrespect for water bodies and the spirits associated with them.

He criticized Zimbabweans for not respecting nature and called out their rituals around water bodies, which he argues disrupt the natural balance.

“Is what is happening in Zimbabwe natural or not?”

It is not natural. I am currently living in Roodepoort, Jhb and we have a lot of Zimbabweans here (Zandspruit specifically) and we share most of the spaces we are using for ancestral practices including rivers.

Zimbabweans don’t respect nature, Zimbabweans don’t respect the waters and the beings living in waters.

Samukelisiwe Thabethe referred to his experiences in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, where he alleges that the actions of Zimbabweans have harmed water spirits in nearby rivers.

He described how Zimbabweans allegedly use mirrors and rice in these rituals, believing they attract the spirits.

“There’s a river that I regularly use to cleanse people close by and the things that Zimbabweans tend to do there are not be normal nor acceptable.

I don’t know how many times I’ve removed upwards facing mirrors inside the river. You know what the mirrors are used for? They are use for kutsebula (capture) the waters spirits that inhibit that body of water. In this specific river, they were trying to capture the mermaid that stays there. They would put rice along the banks of the river and then put the mirrors in side. Why rice? They believe that it attracts mermaids.

So they are putting the rice there to lure the mermaid and then the mirrors will smdo their jobs.”

Accusations of Supernatural Interference at Victoria Falls

The sangoma suggested that the drying up of the Zambezi River, which feeds Victoria Falls, is linked to rituals aimed at capturing water spirits, such as mermaids.

Thabethe argued that attempts by Zimbabweans to capture water spirits have angered the water spirits, causing them to leave the river and resulting in the drying of the falls.

“Going back to the Zambezi river which is the river that feeds Victoria Falls, how does a big and ancient river just dry out? Is it is really lol linked to the so called drought? Absolutely not. A river that is occupied by great water spirits such as the mermaid, inkanyamba and mambamuntu (half human, half crocodile) doesn’t dry out no matter the climate.

Someone tried to capture the water beings that live there and this was the result because after the attempt, the water spirits decided to migrate to another water body leaving what you see in the pictures below.”

Calls for a Ritual Apology

In his post, Thabethe urged Zimbabweans to respect water bodies and conduct a ritual apology to the water spirits to mend the disruption caused by their actions. He posited that such an apology could lead to the return of the spirits to the river and restore the flow of water

“Zimbabweans just need to respect waters bodies and then go back to do a ritual that will be an apology to the water beings then this will go away. Bayethe!
👏🏾🙇🏾‍️🌊🧜🏾‍️🐉🐍”

The post “Zimbabweans Don’t Respect Nature”: South African Sangoma Blames Zimbabweans’ ‘Ritual Practices’ for Causing Victoria Falls to Dry Up appeared first on iHarare News.