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04 July 2022 | Story Edzani Nephalela | Photo Edzani Nephalela
Faculty of Theology and Religion
From left to right: Dr Joel Mokhoathi, Ronel Ellis, Dr Nomfundo Mlisa, Prof Pieter Vester and Rev Jacob Makhutso

Growing up, many of us were raised in Christian homes practising specific morals and values, and anything outside of that was considered immoral or even ‘demonic’. However, what happens when you have a dual identity, and you embrace a bit of both?

On 29 June 2022, the University of the Free State Faculty of Theology presented a Table Talk Webinar with Dr Nomfundo Mlisa, titled ‘African Christianity: interconnections between religion, culture, and identity’. These webinars cover a variety of burning topics that deal with contentious issues across the country. Attendees emerged from various parts of the world, including Nigeria and Germany.

Dr Mlisa is a published author, qualified nurse, traditional healer, as well as preacher of the Word. Her talk was based on personal experiences of being Xhosa and being brought up as a member of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa in a strict Christian environment. She was on her journey to becoming a preacher when she realised that she needed to undergo the spiritual healing training (ukhuthwasa) and was faced with resistance from the church minister/s, forcing her to leave church because ukuthwasa was against the church policies.

Her journey has been challenging, because she only acknowledged her ancestral calling at the age of 42, following a series of occurrences that nearly cost her her children. Dr Mlisa hinted that, besides being against church policy, one of the reasons was that the Xhosa nation considered ukhuthwasa to be witchcraft due to the similarity in the pronunciation of words: ukhuthwasa, meaning undergoing spiritual training; ukuthwala, which is an ancient activity of gaining powers for wealth; and ukhuthakatha, meaning witchcraft.

“Rev Mabusela of the Methodist Church invited me back to the church and I was ordained as a reverend. However, my ordination was held at the East London Correctional Services, and it was then that I realised I was a prisoner of faith and tradition,” she said.

Is there a link between ukuthwasa and Christianity?

Besides the fact that philosophy could not prove the linkage, Dr Mlisa said that the link exists, but Christianity has strongly influenced Africans to integrate Christian values into their cultural value systems, as evidenced by various authors. This led to various people with spiritual calling disowning their cultural identities as well as their being.

“In Christianity, there are faith healers and prophets, whereas culturally, we have traditional healers; however, they have one objective, which is to heal the people. But because people wanted to accommodate their gifts in Christianity, such names were given. Furthermore, Christians recognise angels, while traditionally, ancestors are recognised,” she explained.

Looking into different practices in both the Traditional and Christian religions, they both have elements of training, ‘ukhuthwasa’. This is mainly because they all undergo different types of training under a senior person. A senior faith healer trains a junior, whereas a ‘gobela’ trains a traditional healer.

The society is also coming to accept all religions, with most people now wearing traditional healer beads everywhere, including work. There are also traditional healers who are modern doctors, demonstrating that these innate or hereditary abilities are a common language.

News Archive

UFS Alumni honours four
2007-02-19

 Mr Corrie van Zyl, former South African fast bowler and assistant coach of the national cricket squad, will be honoured by the Alumni of the University of the Free State (UFS) as Kovsie Alumnus of the Year 2006.
 
The award is made to Mr Van Zyl for his outstanding contribution to cricket. Under his guidance the Gestetner Diamond Eagles performed excellently and won five out of the six national one-day cricket tournaments they took part in.
 
The Cum Laude Award, awarded from time to time to any alumnus for outstanding service or achievement at local, national or international level in his/her specific career domain, will be awarded to Messrs Zingile Dingani and  Deon Meyer.
 
Mr Dingani will receive the Kovsie Alumni Cum Laude Award for his influential position in the government of South Africa as secretary of Parliament.  As former MEC for Finance in the Free State, he performed significant leadership roles in transforming the Free State economy. The Mail and Guardian described him “as a high performer who is likely to become the next Provincial Premier”.
 
Mr Deon Meyer, acclaimed South African suspense novel writer, will also receive a Kovsie Alumni Cum Laude Award for 2006.  Mr Meyer received numerous acknowledgements and awards for his contribution to literature on both national and international level.
 
Prof Helena Van Zyl, Director of the School of Management at the UFS, receives the Kovsie Alumni National Management Award for exceptional service during 2006.  Through her extraordinary abilities and leadership skills, Prof Van Zyl has managed to build the School of Management at the UFS to one of the most reckoned management schools countrywide.
 
The award ceremony will take place on Friday 9 March 2007 during a gala award banquet in the Reitz Hall of the UFS Centenary Complex on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.  
 
All alumni of the UFS are welcome to attend the function. The guest artists will be various talented Kovsies and the entrance fee of R100 per person includes a three course meal.  
 
Those who are interested can contact Ms Annanda Calitz at 051 401 3382 or alumni@ufs.ac.za.
 
Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
16 February 2007
 

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