Number 6: South Africa 2005

Sorcerers and witches

The mouth of the Umzimvubu river. At the end is Port St. Johns

Shortly after christmas in 2005 we ended up in the little town of Port St. Johns on the wild coast in eastern cape province of South Africa. The town is situated at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River.

These crabs were all along the road and on the lawn of the campground where we stayed

The town was the principal port of the defunct Republic of Transkei (1976-1994). Of the population of 6,500, about 90% are Xhosa-speaking.

Due to silting up of the river mouth, the port of St. Johns was abandoned. However, it still is the local trading center for the surrounding rural communities and a pleasant, modest tourist destination with three beaches and a couple of nature reserves. The high indigenous population and the people coming from the local communities to the market in town make for an interesting mix in the few streets.

One of the activities on offer was the visit in one of the local villages including lunch and the performance of a medicineman. Although this certainly was made up for tourists, it still gave a little insight in the life of the locals. Little Lotte (6) and Hannah (3) were quite impressed.

The medicine man

The village medicinmen are called sangoma. During times of celebration (e.g. at an Initiation) the possessed sangoma is called to dance and celebrate their ancestors. The sangoma will fall into trance. When in trance the Sangoma the ancestors will be channeled (which is signified in Zulu traditions by episodes of convulsive fits) followed by the singing of ancestral songs. These songs are echoed back to the ancestor via the audience in a process of call and response. The possessed sangoma will then change into their traditional ancestral clothing and dance vigorously while others drum and sing in celebration (Wikipedia).

Sorcerers need witches

Later on the same trip we went to a kind of museum of Zulu culture called Shakaland. Although this also was done in best intentions, it was not able to give the same feeling and atmosphere as the little local village near Port St. Johns.

The tourist village of Shakaland

The meidicne man of Shakaland

Dancers of Shakaland

The exterior of the bookshop in the town center of Port St. Johns

And the interior of the bookshop

Selling chicken in the markete

  

Local medicine

The local cobbler was able to repair my sneakers

People in the market

One of the beaches of Port St. Johns

The hut of the sangoma

The main actors

The acoustic accompangniment

Dancing to unknown tunes

Traditional lunch

New friends

Riding lessons

There is not a lot to do in rural Port St. Johns. People try to get away