By Solulwe Vena
TO SANGOMA Mavusi Gqola(44), an owl is a good bird that helps him heal his customers.
The sangoma based in Emagaleni, Qgeberha said an owl is just an ordinary bird that he can use for his work. He said he can even use owl kak mixed with tortoise kak and it works wonders to deal with nightmares and other illnesses.
Mavusi has an owl that stays in his indumba to protect him from evil spirits.
“It depends on what a person uses it for. When I trained as a sangoma, my ancestors gave me certain creatures to protect me from evil spirits.
I have an owl and tortoises and that is what my ancestors instructed me to use,” he said.
He said he can’t be attacked by evil spirits as long as his owl is alive. “Even if a person wants to kill me using evil muthi, the owl can sense the danger. I can communicate with the owl with my own special language. I talk with it and if something bad is going to happen, I can actually tell,” he said.
Mavusi said he bought the owl from some young boys after they hit it with a stone in bushes in Emagaleni. The sangoma nursed it as it was bleeding just above its eye.
Now it stays in a cage and he feeds it with meat, mostly chicken.
Sometimes young kids visit his house but some are scared of the owl. People passing by the road in front of his house curiously look at Mavusi when he feeds his owl.
One of Mavuso’s clients said: “At first I used to be afraid of this owl but as I’ve visited Mavuso to get my treatment and I’ve realised the owl is not harmful.
“Mavuso explained to me why he has the owl at his indumba.”
The Eastern Cape SPCA spokeswoman Belinda Abraham said: “Much respect to this man for helping an animal in distress but it is illegal to keep a wild animal as a pet without the necessary permits.” She said their Wildlife Team would give veterinary assistance if required.
“It would be unkind and cruel to keep an owl confined to a cage. If it is well, it should be set free.”
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