Healer’s python allegedly performs miracles

A traditional healer from Mpheni believes his python helps him to perform “miracles”, but he might also be on the wrong side of the law as far as keeping an endangered animal is concerned.

Mr Samuel Malihase (55) captured the python some three months ago in a river near a village at Sekgosese. He comes from Soekmekaar and now lives in Mpheni village. “The police officers in Sekgosese found the python and ordered me to come and take it, because I am a traditional healer,” he said.

Malihase explained that the giant python serves as a “network”, allowing him to speak to his ancestors. He also ascribed his “healing powers” to the influence of the python. According to him, the python gives him additional mental powers that allow him to solve cases such as livestock theft, especially in the Tshitale area.

When asked how the python performed miracles, he said that he would go to a scene with the python and then perform the miracles. “My python is very powerful. It’s always in the cage when not used,” he added.

He told Limpopo Mirror that, a week ago, Mrs Lizzy Mamphodo from Mpheni came to him and complained that her fridge had been stolen. He helped her to get the fridge back by performing miracles at her home. “People have faith in me and believe that I can help them,” he added.

Limpopo Mirror contacted the National Senior Inspector at the Wildlife Protection Unit of the NSPCA, Ms Isabel Wentzel, asking about the practice of traditional healers to use pythons. “The indigenous python like the South African rock python, also found in the wild in Limpopo, is a protected species and can only be kept by someone if they have a permit from the Nature Conservation authorities. The traditional healer thus must have a permit to keep such a snake. There are other python species, all exotics and not from South Africa, that can be held without a permit, but the true traditional healers prefer the indigenous species,” she said.

She further added that keeping the python was also contravening the Biodiversity Act. “If they want to own such a python they have to apply for a permit from Nature Conservation before acquiring the snake,” she said. The NSPCA said that snakes were also collected by traditional healers and often misused to gain money from their clients by playing upon their beliefs.

Mr Samuel Malihase denied that he gained financially from using the snake. “I do my job to help people, not for monetary purposes,” he said. He also advises people not to kill snakes.  

The NSPCA further said that rock pythons can be extremely aggressive snakes and can cause injuries to people if they were to bite a person. Depending on the size of the rock python, these snakes can easily reach five metres when mature. They can be a potential danger to especially small children.

Date:15 July 2016

By: Mbulaheni Ridovhona

The 22-year-old Mbulaheni (Gary) Ridovhona has been passionate about journalism to the extent that he would buy himself a copy of weekly Univen students' newsletter, Our Voice. After reading, he would write stories about his rural village, Mamvuka, and submit them to the very newsletter for publication. His deep-rooted love for words and writing saw him register for a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies at the University of Venda, and joined the Limpopo Mirror team in February 2016 as a journalism intern.

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