The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa, Sunday Life Correspondent
MANY people cringe at the mere sight of a snake no matter how small. In some cultures, the cold-blooded reptiles are a delicacy while others domesticate them for commercial purposes or just for the love of them just as others do with cats and other pets.
In Africa, and for many years, people have held true to myths regarding the spiritual efficacy of snakes such as the Nyami Nyami which is believed to be the Zambezi River god, to wealth creation and even to long-life all of which compounds the fear and suspicion that Africans have in snakes which have also been believed to be a symbol of evil, cultism, satanism or devil worship.
In recent times, Africans across the continent have been reported to be using snakes to spew money and get wealthy. South African author Jackie Phamotse offered her own theories into how people envied flamboyant lifestyles not knowing what went down behind the scenes, joining cults and rituals.
The popular theory is that one ends up with a snake that spits/vomits out hard cash. However, the physiology of this boggles the mind.
In South Africa, millionaire herbalist Khotso Sethuntsa is purported to own wealth giving snakes and he has made a career as a seller of these magical serpents, a practice known as uthwala. It is argued that the uthwala narratives featuring Khotso are shaped by the specific milieu from which they spring.
The Khotso narratives provide a striking illustration of the way in which socioeconomic changes in South African society affected not only the material world but also perceptions of the indigenous spiritual world.
A Bulawayo traditional healer, Khulu Dakari Sithole of Ndau origin said the use of snakes as wealth charms was dangerous but possible.
Khulu Sithole said he and many other traditional healers had the ability to conjure these creatures for their “clients”. He added that they generally warn them against going that road before acceding to their “clients” request.
“Yes, these things are there. These snakes are there, but myself and many other traditional healers can give you a snake. I don’t recommend it but I can give you a snake,” said the traditional healer.
However, Khulu Sithole refused to delve into the dangers and the processes involved with conjuring these snake charms.
In 2020, a seven-metre long python was recovered from some people before it was captured and placed under the custody of Cecil Kop Nature Reserve, where it reportedly began vomiting after consuming food as it struggled to adjust to the new environment.
At the time, Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) president Mr George Kandiero said once a snake is used for money spinning charms it ceases to be a snake as we all know the reptile but becomes some money-making ornament.
He said either the owner or the snake eventually dies after the reptile has been captured and separated from the owner.
“The snake might not live longer and the vomiting could be early signs of impending danger to it. In some cases, the snake can even disappear mysteriously. In other cases, the family of the owner of the snake can go through difficult times like sickness or even death once the snake is captured and separated from the owner. It all depends on what was agreed upon when the owner acquired that snake,” he argued.
On the other hand, Cecil Kop Nature Reserve official, Mr Knowledge Nyamhoka attributed the vomiting to trauma that the reptile went through from the time it was dumped until it was collected and taken to and from court as exhibit.
“It is sad that the snake has gone through a lot of trauma and we can actually see that. We gave it a chicken and it vomited after consumption. This is due to the trauma it went through from the time it was dumped until it was collected and taken to and from court as exhibit.
It is even shy to come out each time it senses that there are people around and this could be fear of being taken away again. We hope that it will recover and be able to acclimatise within the current environment,” said Mr Nyamhoka.
To other cultures, most notably, Northerners, snakes represent anything from symbols of clan hood to lovable pets. But the long and short of it is that snakes indeed hold a certain fascination for humans.
They have the ability to shed their skins and seemingly emerge reborn, so they are identified with the symbol of regeneration and immortality.
The snake demon or serpent God in mythology represents fertility in many cultures. In some cultures, the snake meaning is god and the snake symbol is worshipped. However, snakes also spew venom, bite people, and can destroy.
In the Bible, the snake is portrayed evil as it tempts Adam and Eve, it is called the principle of evil. In Genesis 3:14, the bible says: So, the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.”
Because it lives close to the ground, the snake is an emblem of the nurturing earth and also the unknown perils of the underworld. Snakes also have different mystical meanings.
When asked what the word snake brings to mind, most people, irrespective of their religion, would answer ‘evil’ or fear. Christians, Muslims, and Jews would inevitably use the word evil to describe the snake’s meaning.
The scholarly world would use the words sinful, deceptive, or dangerous to describe snake symbolism. In many parts of the world, snakes and serpents are also symbols of sex.
The snake in African belief and custom has many dark sides, that have been well supported by both cultural myth and biblical history. And according to Africanism, the snake or serpent is a symbol of evil and beyond reproach.
And unlike in some Asian countries and communities where the snake is a delicacy, in most African communities the snake is feared and attempts to domesticate the reptile is always looked at with disdain and suspicion as the myth is that it can be used for witchcraft and money-making rituals. – @RealSimbaJemwa
