BACK in 1999, Sikhumbuzo Kunene (46) promised his ancestors he would build a house for them.
Although things went wrong for the sangoma from Folweni, Durban, he never forgot the command from his ancestors.
Six years later, he built them a double-storey shack in his kasi.
Sikhumbuzo told Daily Sun he was diagnosed with cancer in 1999.
“The ancestors came to me while I was in a coma,” he said.
“I saw men sitting in royal chairs and wearing white robes and gold crowns.
“They showed me a fire behind them and told me it was hell.”
He said the ancestors also gave him dagga to eat.
In 2005, he started collecting used metal.
People thought he was crazy, but he was on a divine mission.
By 2010, he had collected enough for his shack, which took him three months to build.
Sikhumbuzo said the top floor is for his ancestors.
“My ancestors wanted this house.
“No one is allowed to go upstairs because that’s where they live,” he said.
He said he uses the house to contact his ancestors. He said the house also boosts his ability to heal people.
Sikhumbuzo said he used to be a heavy dagga user.
“I’m a sangoma, but I am also a Rastafarian,” he said.
“I use weed to heal my patients the same way my ancestors healed me of cancer in my dream.
“I crush it and make them to swallow it without burning it.”
One of his neighbours, Sanele Mkhize (32), said Sikhumbuzo is different from people in his kasi. .
“His lifestyle and dress code is unique,” he said.
Traditional healer Sazi Mhlongo said some sangomas do use weed as a medicine.
“Weed has medicinal value and it is used by traditional healers to heal people.”
