A National Union of Mineworkers witness has told the Marikana commission about his preference for muthi that only does nothing more than help him attract women.
Saziso Gegeleza, a NUM leader at Lonmin's Rowland shaft, made this startling revelation when he was quizzed about claims that striking rock-drillers at Lonmin's Marikana mine in Rustenburg were given muthi by a sangoma for protection.
Gegeleza was responding to a question by counsel for the police advocate Ishmael Semenya on whether he used muthi to be strong or to protect himself or if he was aware of this practice.
"The only medicine I used is to attract girlfriends," he said.
"I haven't been exposed to anybody who is using traditional medicine for purposes of making themselves strong.
"I'm aware of the practice whereby people make incisions on their bodies ... but that is usually done by those who want to protect themselves against tokoloshes," he said.
"If the muthi is good for the tokoloshes, can it be good for human beings?" asked Semenya, to which Gegeleza replied he did not know.
When South African Police Service's footage depicting naked men standing in a single line for what appeared to be a ritual was shown yet again yesterday, Gegeleza described it as "unusual".
- nhlabathih@sowetan.co.za
Muthi only to attract girlfriends - miner
A National Union of Mineworkers witness has told the Marikana commission about his preference for muthi that only does nothing more than help him attract women.
Saziso Gegeleza, a NUM leader at Lonmin's Rowland shaft, made this startling revelation when he was quizzed about claims that striking rock-drillers at Lonmin's Marikana mine in Rustenburg were given muthi by a sangoma for protection.
Gegeleza was responding to a question by counsel for the police advocate Ishmael Semenya on whether he used muthi to be strong or to protect himself or if he was aware of this practice.
"The only medicine I used is to attract girlfriends," he said.
"I haven't been exposed to anybody who is using traditional medicine for purposes of making themselves strong.
"I'm aware of the practice whereby people make incisions on their bodies ... but that is usually done by those who want to protect themselves against tokoloshes," he said.
"If the muthi is good for the tokoloshes, can it be good for human beings?" asked Semenya, to which Gegeleza replied he did not know.
When South African Police Service's footage depicting naked men standing in a single line for what appeared to be a ritual was shown yet again yesterday, Gegeleza described it as "unusual".
- nhlabathih@sowetan.co.za
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