ALBERT Maseti said he has been paying the price for stealing an inyanga’s chickens 41 long years ago.
The 64-year-old from KwaZakhele in Port Elizabeth said he believes the inyanga cursed him and three of his late friends.
“We were just boys and ready to go to circumcision school in 1975,” said Albert.
“It was common practice back then for boys to steal a chicken before going.
“If you were caught, you were given a few lashes or your parents sent you straight to the bush.
“In the rural areas this was common.”
However, the friends made the mistake of stealing in the kasi where the rules were different!
“The inyanga and community members warned us to stop stealing his chickens but we ignored them,” he said.
“We stole about 10 of the fat and delicious chickens.
“Just a few days before we went to the bush, our feet started itching. “We later grew blisters on the underside of our feet.
“My friends became very sick and died a few years later.
“I have tried doctors, sangomas and inyangas with no success. I can’t even wear shoes because my feet are burning.”
Albert uses his hands and bum to walk because it’s painful to put his feet on the ground.
Now the inyanga is dead and no one can help him.
Sangoma Joe Dlamini said the inyanga probably cursed Albert using soil from his footprints.
However, he said he could help madala.
Albert’s sister, Nompelo Maseti (42) said the situation was difficult for the family because it was expensive to transport her brother to the hospital and he didn’t have a wheelchair.
“We are appealing to a Good Samaritan to help us with a wheelchair so we can take him for treatment,” she said.
