Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
WHEN one pictures a sangoma, one perhaps thinks of an old man or woman sitting comfortably on a reed mat adorned in traditional regalia while a pile of bones lay in front of them as instruments through which they look into a person’s past or future.
This is the image of the sangoma or traditional healer that many have grown up with. This is, after all, a sacred trade, one that was not meant for every Jack and Jill but for a select few who are picked up by their ancestors and gifted with abilities that defy common logic.
It is a rare science mastered by these men and women, one usually practiced in rarefied shrines where only the deeply troubled dare venture into. It is perhaps for this reason that many defy the “calling” when it touches them, as they believe that it will take them away from everyday life, making them pariahs that are “unfashionable” despite their fearsome powers.
Many treat their craft purely as a calling, meant to help people who give back as they see fit. Others, however, especially nowadays, defy old stereotypes of what a sangoma is meant to be.
One such healer is Memory Mudamburi, popularly known as Gogo Chihoro, who is spearheading ground-breaking “pharmacies” where people who do not have easy access to her in her home base in Harare can buy some of her remedies wherever they are based. One such shop has been opened in Bulawayo recently.
The move is in line with the work of a healer whose actions have made her a maverick among other sangomas. Her exploits are the stuff of lore.
Gogo Chihoro, known for giving financial and moral support to musicians in the country, once surprised all and sundry when she bought Mathias Mhere’s new album CD for US$2 000. As Mhere is a gospel artiste, some had thought that Gogo Chihoro’s mere presence was a surprising turn of events, as she is a firm believer in African Traditional Religion (ATR).
“I have realised God is only one, even though our religions might not be the same,” she explained.
“Like I said earlier on, I met Mhere through music, I now take him as part of our family. He has done something huge for my son and you never know how it will end.”
While her flamboyant nature has caught the eye over the years, it is Gogo Chihoro’s alleged powers that have seen her become a household name in her field.
According to her Personal Assistant, Gogo Sibanda, the traditional healer’s journey began when she was a teenager. This, she revealed, put her at odds with her parents who were church leaders and did not understand how their daughter had turned towards a practice that they shunned.
“Gogo Chihoro started assisting people when she was 16 years old but the gift of assisting people came upon her when she was 12. Growing up, older people would come to her saying they were sent spiritually to guide and assist her and that didn’t go well with her parents because they were pastors and didn’t believe in traditional healing.
Because of her spiritual guidance, she did very well in her school’s studies,” she said.
Gogo Chihoro gained popularity after she assisted a Gweru businessman who experienced a rare condition where mysterious creatures suspected to be termites attacked his private parts after he allegedly bedded a married woman believed to be “centrally locked or fenced” by her husband with ulunyoka.
The businessman in the transport industry (name supplied) suffered multiple stings, with the termites reportedly covering his entire private parts for days leading him to confess to his wife and family that the incident began shortly after he had slept with a married woman.
His manhood also reportedly kept on disappearing each time he wanted to make love to his wife at home. Such encounters have seen her become an attractive prospect for those suffering from rare and unusual illnesses.
“Gogo Chihoro assists people facing all different challenges in life, be it sickness like cancer, marital problems, people who are mentally disturbed and also, she can catch thieves by sending bees or baboons. She also assists with luck and even gold diggers who want to find the right path of diamonds or gold, she can assist in giving them the right place to go and dig.
Court cases or bad luck, family alters, she assists in all that,” Gogo Sibanda said. With her reputation now well spread around the country, Gogo Chihoro has decided to export her talents, opening a new “branch” for her followers in the City of Kings.
As unconventional as her methods are, which include sending wild animals to attack people who are on her “hit list”, Gogo Sibanda said that they were only doing what was necessary to bring “healing.” She is a well-known figure and this particular branch will help her get close to those who seek her help in Bulawayo.
She said Gogo Chihoro’s gifts belong to everyone, not just those in the capital and problems faced by those in Harare are the same as those faced by the people here.
