Mphutungwane Traditional Healing & Consultation

Who are we authentically as a nation? What has defined us, and continues ot define us, as a people of South Africa and Africa? I'm not a sociologist, but I wonder if this question has ever been researched and what the answers if any, point to. 

Looking at the media from the 50's and 60's, it is clear that the "in" thing was to look as urban as possible which because of the laws of the time meant it was aspirational to dress differently, drive a car and to be honest, to look, speak and behave as un-African as possible.  In those days to be an African, was to be the last person on the social ladder.  You were restricted in where you worked, the education you got, in fact all of your possibiliites were limited.  Hence we had people who did what African-Americans call "turning".  I've never heard the South African equivalent for this term.

This article is inspired by the many requests I get from people who have an identified calling who then want either a time frame of when their "method of ukuhlola" is going to manifest. These tools are not tools that they have seen signs of in themselves or through dreams, but are tools that are often times prophecied as abilities that they do indeed possess and that they will use.  The tools I am referring to are how they will actually hlola i.e. with Amathambo, Amakhosi, Isitunywa, Amandheghe etc, etc.  But before I get to all of this, I am going to use the Old Testament to highlight something.  Some of you will understand immediately what I am trying to say in this article. 

An article on page 13 in yesterday's Sunday Independent Newspaper (11 October 2009) with the headline "Yes we do have a sixth sense" by Sarah Chalmers is proof that science is finally catching up to what we in Africa have always known.  From the article, a medical doctor (Larry Dossey) has collected some of the documented examples of premonition dreams and published a book about this phenominon. The article fascinating and includes references  to premonitions about the September 11 attacks in the USA. The article by referring to a tragedy that occured in Britain in 1966 in which a little girl had visions about a tradegy which included her and her school friends' deaths. 

If you have never been to Soweto (or any of a lot of townships in South Africa) and you went today for the first time, you would be struck by the tarred roads, mega shopping malls and other outward signs of development.  It is almost difficult to imagine that less than 20 years ago, there were no tarred roads or electricity in this place; and that 33 years ago, the township was on fire! These are all the yesterdays which make up the psychology of South Africa as a country.  What about the yesterdays which make up our individual psychology?