MANDLA Kubheka’s parents parted with a whopping R30 000 for a gobela to train him to become a sangoma but it now seems the gobela was a fake!
However, the 40-year-old from Thokoza in Ekurhuleni wasn’t going to take it lying down, so he approached a traditional healers organisation and the community policing forum to force the man to pay back his money.
And the gobela has agreed to hand over the cash! However, he can only return a portion of what he owes because he has to pay back four other thwasas.
“He agreed to pay back R9 500 as it’s the only amount he can afford to give each one of us,” said Mandla.
He said after spending two and a half years in training he couldn’t even read the bones. “That man was taking chances. I suspect he’s not even trained. He just wanted to make money out of us,” said Mandla.
His mum, Selina Thamane said the gobela had been milking the family.
“Every three months, he would demand 10 cases of beer and two bottles of whisky. We bought five goats worth R1 600 each and four chickens, which he wanted every month,” she said.
“We suspect he was selling the beer at his tuck shop. What was he doing with so much beer?
My son can’t communicate with his ancestors but we parted with so much money.”
When the SunTeam approached the gobela, Wilson Mangokoane, he asked for a chance to pay back the money in instalments. “Right now I have no money. I want to be given a chance to raise the money. I’m not refusing to pay,” he said.