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Times to remember Episode 3 - Page 06
Written by Frank Leslie Boswell   
Sunday, 10 July 2011 16:59
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My encounter with African Beliefs

A labourer approached me and in his hand he held a rolled up leaf, which represented the human body and in it were sticks inserted to represent the arms and legs. He informed me that this was found on his doorstep, which meant he was being bewitched. I then recalled an article I read of a young doctor who went to practice among either the Maoris or Aborigines. Arriving at a settlement he found a crowd preparing for a burial. On making some enquiries he learnt that a young man lay on deathbed as someone had thrown the bones at him. On examining the young man he showed no signs of any threatening illness. He informed the young man that he too possessed super natural powers. He would give him something so that when he dies he will be able to bring him back to life. After administering some Chloroform his patient fell asleep. He went outside and informed the inquisitive crowd that his patient had gone into a deep sleep but would soon recover. On recovering from the Chloroform the young man was convinced he had returned from the dead. It was not long before he was back on his feet. I decided that I would take a similar approach and informed the labourer that I would bring something to work the next day that would soon end the curse placed on him. At home I proceeded in making a similar object but on a larger scale using a mango leaf. The difference was that I had stuck a pin in the region of the abdomen. The next morning I gave him this Voodoo Doll and told him to keep it in his pocket and if anyone he encounters complains of stomach ache he will know that he is responsible for placing the curse. This paid off and I had gained a certain amount of respect from the Africans.

Between my flat and the sanitary was a fair sized open patch. I decided I would plant mealies in the space although this was not allowed as the mosquitoes bred in them. Chances that the mealies could be stolen were great. I decided to take a gamble by telling Morgan to inform the other houseboys that I had placed a spell on the mealies. Everything went well until one afternoon coming home from work there was Morgan waiting for me. He informed me that one of the houseboys had taken ill and he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. When I enquired if he had stolen any mealies Morgan’s immediate response was “No”. I informed him that it is a pity as I could of removed the spell. Morgan immediately went to some of the houseboys waiting in the sanitary lane. After consulting with them he returned and informed me that he had only stolen one. I instructed him that he and some of the other houseboys must go visit the victim at hospital and inform him that he is forgiven.

The above one can associate with ‘Mind of matter” as we all know how powerful it can be and what’s more the culprit was back at work the next day. From then on not one mealie was stolen. The next incident however paints another picture.

One of our drivers entered into an argument with the clerk over his logbook. When he realized that she was proving him wrong he became very abusive. I then decided to intervene and told him to stop using such abusive language when addressing a lady. As he was walking away it was my turn to be on the receiving end. When some distance away he shouted that he was not scared of my Umtakati. I shouted back that before lunchtime he would regret what he had said. What made me say this I don’t know? Before lunch he was in hospital with severe burns. Petrol he had stolen was somehow set alight. Is this coincidence? To be honest I am not sure as I now began to feel that I was dabbling with something that is best left alone and promised myself to call it a day. This promise I made I however broke when I was in Botswana. It all started when three of my labourers died within months, as they believed that a spell was cast on them. Imagine a healthy person telling you that he is going to die because of a spell cast on him. A few days later you are helping financially towards his funeral. After the third person died I decided to intervene. Doctor Pearl Mashalaba informed me that no reason could be found for their death. When the fourth person Dozen Chawalani came to me with the same story I decided to use the same approach as with my first time. Believe it or not it put a stop to the deaths.

Then there were the trackers in Kasane that made use of bones to look into the future. Taking their advice after they had thrown the bones was always to our advantage. My interest in the bones caught the attention of a Chief near Kasane. With one of my visits to ask him for a tracker he questioned me on the interest I had in the bones. After some questioning and a short initiation ceremony he gave me a set of bones made from warthog teeth. I had some stunning results with these bones. I once again decided to call it a day for the same reason as above. This decision also only lasted for a few years. Holding the bones in my hand again I realized that the vibes normally present were gone. My thoughts that the vibes, which were always present after the bones had been thrown, would still be there was soon shattered. After many fruitless attempts I threw the towel in. Today these bones are part of my memorabilia.



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