“People will continue to say bad things about me”

“Why don't you post silly statuses and pictures about me on Facebook again – that my pig gave birth to eight piglets and that they are following me wherever I go?”

These were the words of Lawrence Gezani Mhangwani (30) of Mbhokota village, near Elim. He was responding to allegations that he had been cursed with the spirit of a black pig that literally and mysteriously followed him wherever he went.

On 27 June 2014, Limpopo Mirror carried the story of Mhangwani, after a rumour had been circulating that he was a thief, who had stolen from the wrong people who had then retaliated by putting a curse of a pig on him.

“People had said that my pig wouldn't have piglets because it was part of the evil spell cast on me,” he said on Thursday during Limpopo Mirror's visit. “Now it has given birth to eight healthy piglets. I go with them to buy my bread at the spaza shop, or to have a drink at a local shebeen.”

He said the pig's name is Virginia N'wamihanyi Vatasa'vahanya-Lavangavanene. “I love her and all her babies – two females and six males,” he shared. “Whoever said I was a thief, who stole and was bewitched, had nothing to say. People of this world have lazy tongues which rush to say vulgar and negative stuff about other people. I understand there are people who will always say bad things about me.”

Mhangwani's friend, Majubane Makhubele (25), who accompanied him when he went to buy his pig, said: “I was shocked when people spread negative, malicious rumours about my friend.”

There had previously been a 'bad' rumour that the pig followed Mhangwani to the bus stop. When he climbed in a taxi, she remained behind, but once Mhangwani got off the taxi, be it at Elim or Tzaneen, the black pig materialised and started following him again.

“There are people who still believe that I am bewitched and it's the reason why the pig and eight piglets follow me,” he said. “But that's not my problem – curiosity will kill them.”

He said people continued to ask him to sell piglets, but he is not selling any to anybody. “I won't kill my big pig for a meal; I love her,” he said. “I enjoy feeding her and the piglets. I also wash her daily, provided I have enough time to do so.”

Mhangwani said people who were interested in knowing more about his pig and piglets could contact him on 060 731 3700.

Date:20 February 2015

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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