LEBOGANG Mokebe (43) from Mofolo in Soweto told Daily Sunshe paid her gobela Boitumelo Ranaka R30 000 for ukuthwasa.
But she now knows it was all a scam.
“When I realised I was being scammed I left and demanded my money back, but the gobela refused to give it to me,” said Lebogang.
She said when she told the gobela she’d report her to the traditional councils, the gobela said she didn’t care.
“I went to Ubuhle BeNgcugce, a community council of the CRL Rights commission and reported her. They summoned her.”
She said when she had problems with skin allergies she consulted this sangoma, who told her she had to thwasa.
“But during ukuthwasa I didn’t get any better. She didn’t even give me the muthi amathwasa get during iphehlo. I was paying R700 a month for food but I was doing nothing.”
When the gobela went away for a while, Lebogang sneaked out and consulted another sangoma.
“I was told I didn’t have idlozi. I was told to leave as soon as possible.”
When the gobela came back she told her she was leaving and asked for her money back. She gave her different stories.
Ubuhle BeNgcugce summoned the gobela to their Zola offices on Saturday and Daily Sun was also invited.
After a long discussion, the gobela agreed she’d pay back at least R20 000 of the R30 000 which the thwasa paid because she said she gave her things during her stay at her home.
“I’ll pay her R5 000 at the end of July then give her R2 000 each month until the full amount is repaid,” said the gobela.
Mtimande Ngwenya of Ubuhle BeNgcugce said the council would go to the gobela’s house every month to collect the money. He said some gobelas were using a new scam.
“When a thwasa is graduating they don’t give the muthi that will make him or her become active.
“They tell the thwasa to first refer someone who’ll also thwasa. The referred person becomes a sacrifice who’ll pay up money for nothing, especially when he or she doesn’t have idlozi.
“This keeps the money flowing but we will put an end to that.”
