Traditions
Most people in South Africa will meet you with “ubunto”.
“ubunto” means natural friendliness and trust.
They believe in that you can only be happy if you make other people happy.
It is really important to them to stick together and help each other.
You cannot be happy if you don’t respect your past and your forefathers about what they have done and told you.
Most people in South Africa are Christian today, but they still keep some of their old traditions and beliefs.
One of the most oldest and important traditions are dancing, singing and making music.
They still carry the tradition to make homemade dishes and sorghum beer.
If they example are celebrating a wedding they will still slaughter an animal like they always have done.
The elders and the ancestors are respected and not forgotten, as we often see in the Western culture.
The teenagers have to learn about the responsibilities of becoming an adult.
Sangomas and Nyangas
Many people in South Africa believe in traditional healer.
The traditional healer is called Sangomas, and the witch doctor is called the Nyangas.
The witch doctor can cure illness and the traditional healer can tell you the future and change bad luck.
The healers stays in cities as well as in the rural areas.
If you need comfort or medical assistance it would be a good idea to visit the Sangomas and many modern people do that today.
The Sangoma is often a woman who has a special hut for meditation and treatment.
She has many bottles filled with animal fat and herbal mixtures. They use snake fat in most medicines. The Sangoma is really good to talk to if you have problems. She will take her the time that you need and aren’t busy with anything else. Most Sangomas have a cure for bad luck.
If you need help to get rid of your bad luck she will probably use “muthi” and muthi is some medicine that will keep the bad spirits away. She will also use her wand witch is a stick with cow hair on the top.
Nyangas...