DURBAN - WHEN Nombulelo Mbokazi, 62, was forced to accept her ancestral calling while doing matric in 1978, she thought it was the end for her dream of obtaining a doctorate degree.
Mbokazi was 19-years-old and studying at the Inanda seminary in Durban when she fell sick, and became hysterical. Medical doctors were unable to help Mbokazi who continued to suffer until she found out that the ancestors wanted her to become a sangoma.
So she followed her calling but did not give up on her academic dreams. Now at the age of 62, the sangoma has achieved her goal of obtaining a doctorate. She is the proud bearer of a Phd in Mathematics, and was amongst those capped at a virtual graduation ceremony at the University of KwaZulu-Natal recently.
Mbokazi told the Daily News on Thursday that her academic journey had been a long and difficult one.
She said when she had to start initiation (ukuthwasa) she thought of dropping out of school but her mother encouraged her to try and manage both initiation, and school.
“With the support from my family I tried to give equal time to both my training sessions. They were two difficult courses and it was hard to give equal attention to both. During the day I had to be at school focusing on my matric, and in the afternoon I had to be with a traditional healer who was taking me through rituals as part of my training,” said Mbokazi.
In 1979 she started initiation on a full time basis. She had to leave home and stay at the home of the traditional healer who was training her at KwaNyuswa near Hillcrest.
After completing her initiation in 1981, she returned home and started practising as a sangoma, while teaching at a local private school. Dr Mbokazi took maths as a major in her studies, and she still teaches the subject online for the department of education after her retirement.
“I believe my ancestors were most understanding. Although it was not easy, they would allow me to do other things as long as I followed their instructions. In 1983 I enrolled for a teaching course at the now closed Ntuzuma College of education where I obtained my teaching certificate. I had to juggle both professions.
“During the day I would be at the college but when I came home in the afternoon I would find people waiting for me, and would quickly get into my sangoma gear then solve their spiritual problems. At some stage I could not find time to do my college homework because I had to be with my sick patient the whole night.This is the life I have been living till now but I am grateful that my ancestors did allow and helped me achieve my childhood dream of obtaining a doctorate,” said Mbokazi.
She furthered her studies by obtaining a secondary education certificate at Vista University majoring in mathematics in 1987 while she was a teacher at Nombika primary school at Ndwedwe.
She obtained a Diploma in Secondary Education at the University of Zululand, majoring in maths and science, in 1989.
But in 1993 she had to undergo further training as a sangoma, and this time had to stop working for a year because she had intensive ritual training.
In 2009 she obtained BED Honours at the UKZN, majoring in maths and science, then in 2016 she got her Masters in Mathematics.
Daily News