PROPHETS, izangoma and izinyanga will soon have special areas to perform rituals.
This was announced by eThekwini parks and recreation head Thembinkosi Ngcobo on Sunday, 6 December.
He said the decision came after a squabble triggered by a ritual performed at Clifton First Beach in Cape Town last year.
The incident came after beachgoers were upset by the sight of a sheep being slaughtered in public, leading to racism accusations.
Ngcobo said the incident made the municipality realise the area also had a problem with goats and chickens being slaughtered on beaches and the use of candles in rituals, which interfered with cleaning operations.
“We decided we needed to come up with a solution to accommodate everyone,” he said.
“While some see our beaches as beautiful holiday destinations and places to have fun, others see them as places to perform certain rituals.”
Ngcobo said each beach would have a few kilometres set aside for prophets, sangomas and inyangas to perform rituals for clients.
“We’ll expect them to obey the rules we have made. For example, they will have to use only the spaces set aside for them and nowhere else,” he said.
“They’ll have to ensure they don’t leave behind any animal carcasses or objects used during their ceremonies,” said Ngcobo.
He said the designated spaces would have lifeguards in case they had trouble in the water.
Traditional Healers Association of South Africa chairman Thandonjani Hlongwane said: “We accepted the offer with both hands and are happy. To know that the municipality is willing to recognise our work on its beaches is a good thing.”
