Daily Sun (June 9 2014) - KILL the chicken without a ritual and somebody will die, warned the sangoma.
But the people didn't listen and the mystery chicken was slaughtered.
NOW A FAMILY IS MOURNING THE DEATH OF THEIR NEW-BORN BABY.
Last Friday Thabiso Ngwelengwele (28) and his partner went to visit their one-week-old son in the Universitas Hospital in Bloemfontein, Free State.
"My partner and I came in the morning to see our son. We locked the car before going in," Thabiso told Daily Sun.
While they were in the ward Thabiso decided to buy coffee but when he realised he had left his wallet in the car he went outside.
"When I got to the car I found a huge chicken on the passenger seat. It didn't look as if it was planning on going anywhere," he said. "The car was locked and the windows were closed.
"We don't have chickens at home so it could not have come with us. I can't understand how the chicken got into the car."
The worried father from Turflaagte in Mangaung, Free State said he opened the car door thinking the chicken would jump out but it didn't move.
"I managed to take out my purse before closing the door again."
A car guard said he sees everything because he is there to make sure the cars are not broken into.
"I did not see anyone with a chicken," he said.
The crowd that had gathered around the car argued if the chicken should be killed or not. Thabiso called his brother who, along with pastor Amos Mapanda from Grace Ministries, came to help. He said the chicken had to be killed.
While the people in the parking lot were still arguing, Daily Sun spoke to traditional healer Ishmael Ntholeng from Clocolan who said the chicken had to be slaughtered in a certain way.
"It has to be killed, burnt and the ashes have to be mixed with a special muthi. The mixture will then have to be sprinkled in the yard so that everything can go back to normal," he said.
He said there would be a death in the family if this wasn't done. He explained it was possible a sangoma who was owed money by the family could have sent the chicken.
But the chicken was killed in the parking lot anyway. Thabiso's brother took the remains and burnt them in the bushes.
But on Saturday morning tragedy struck.
Thabiso was at home when the hospital called. They said the baby had undergone an operation but the operation was unsuccessful and the baby had died.
Thabiso is mourning the death of his child and wondering what would have happened if they had listened to the sangoma's warning.
Daily Sun tried to contact the pastor without success.
See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....
The Daily Sun is South Africa's largest daily newspaper with an average circulation of 297,614 (Audit Bureau of Circulations 4th Quarter 2013) and a readership of 5.7m (as per AMPS 2012ab). Its Facebook page can be accessed here. It can be followed on Twitter here. To find about advertising on the Daily Sun click here.
Issued through the Politicsweb iService
