Ke Tsamaya Tseleng ya Badimo ka Maotonyana

“Ke tsamaya tseleng we ka maotonyana. Tseleng wee ka maotonyana. Tseleng ya badimo ka maotonyana.”

This is one of my favourite Sesotho hlophe songs. It is a lamentation of how difficult it is to walk the journey ya badimo. The melancholic melody is what alludes to the lamentation. It also pays homage and gives honour to badimo. “…ka maotonyana…” tells the listener/spectator that the singer is just a conduit and the wisdom they receive comes from badimo. This song is loaded with a myriad of emotions. Kugoqagoqene ubuhlungu nobumnandi.

My given names are Malehloenya Tsoaeli. I speak Sesotho, isiXhosa, isiZulu (maybe a remixed version ya Mosotho wa nalane ya Lesotho) and English. Ka lebitso la badimo ke ‘Malepena Motsoahae. Dingaka tsa setso di bitswa bo Nkgono, Ntatemoholo, Gogo etc. so in short, ke nna Gogo Malepena/Nkgono Malepena. Amen. My practice is based in Bloemfontein, Mandelaview, on the N8. I divine using ditaola/amathambo/bones, candles (fire gazing) and sometimes water (ka nnete ha ke tsebe na ho be ho tsohile badimo ba feng tsatsiing leno). I draw on the formation of ditaola, my intuition (ukuhlahluba ngekhanda/mediumship) and life experiences to form a picture of what mokudi waka is going through. Alright.

I am a Black South African woman. Ke ngaka ya setso (isangoma). I am also a mother, daughter, sister, friend, counselor, healer, inyanga *sharp inhale* and most importantly a young human/person/woman trying to come to terms with the responsibility of being a conduit for badimo . Not only my own badimo, but those of the people who seek my counsel and guidance.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten the formalities out of the way, I would like to shed light on what inspired this blog. Alongside lamenting on the internet about the responsibility of being ngaka ya setjhaba, I will write about leeto la ka, tseleng ena ya badimo (sorry non-Sesotho speakers); educate readers/potential clients/bakudi about the correct protocol to follow when approaching ngaka/isangoma. A lot of what is written on the internet, is written primarily for an audience that is familiar with etiquette ya bongaka. By this I mean, the appropriate salutations when approaching ngaka for counsel/guidance; the correct terms to use when referring to ditaba tsa bongaka etc. Still with me?

On more than one occasion, I have come across patients/clients/bakudi who want to greet me as though we’re friends. I know, it’s tempting because I am young and we tweet together and I am mostly informal, which can create the illusion of familiarity, but I appreciate it dearly when people approach my guiding ancestors with respect. It is in fact, badimo baka whom you greet when you say “Lesedi Nkgono” “Thokoza gogo” “Camagu mnt’omkhulu”. Please understand that bongaka/ubungoma is my work and not just a smallanyana thing I perform when ke jowa ke bodutu. I’m sorry if you have ever been on the receiving end of my chastisement regarding the use of appropriate salutations. Hade. Mara it was for a good cause akere?

I will also write about the services I offer besides ho laola/ukubhula/divining and cleansings. I am open to topic suggestions,provided I have knowledge on said topic.

Kea leboha ha le nkadimme ditsebe, mahlo le data ya lona.

Haebe lesedi, ebe kganya.

*Badimo- ancestors/amadlozi/izinyanya

*Ngaka ya setso- isangoma/igqirha

*Hade- read as ha-de: a slang term meaning sorry.

*Bakudi- iziguli/patients/clients

Gogo Malepena

See all author post