She is well aware that some parents will hate the idea of having their children being told about African spirituality. Self-made millionaire, traditional healer, philanthropist and Real Housewives Of Johannesburg reality star, Thobekile Mdlalose is embarking on a journey to travel to high schools speaking on her journey as a sangoma and hopefully teach people about diversity and tolerance.

 

TOLERANCE

 

Starting at her own high school, Northlands Girls High School in Durban, the mom of three says she wants to share her journey and to also help people to be more tolerant of izangoma. "Some families, especially Christians have labelled us satanic, evil, demonic and that we are ungodly. I understand because they have been taught to hate anything that is African," she tells ZiMoja. "But my aim of going to schools is to teach people tolerance and acceptance."

 

MENTAL WELLNESS

 

Thobekile references back to two incidences in 2021 and 2022 where children died after being teased by their peers at school. "Two children committed suicide because no one understood what a calling was and one of the kid's pictures circulated on social media where she was mocked. The other

, a 15-year-old sangoma who was a learner at Nombika High School in Ndwedwe killed herself because she could not handle the mocking by her peers." Thobekile says that their deaths could have been avoided. "We have sex education classes and teach Life Orientation, but we have excluded African spirituality and I hope to change the way it is viewed."

 

DISCRIMINATION

 

Thobekile has been a healer for more than a decade and has experienced all types of discrimination. "For a very long time, I was not comfortable with speaking about my calling because of how people would view me. But it took me acceptance and knowing my purpose," she says. "I was labelled dirty and demonic. But accepting myself allowed me to also help those around me who didn't know much and I was able to also educate them about my gift."