Psychology Honours students in the School of Applied Human Sciences recently embarked on a fieldtrip to a healing village in Greytown owned by renowned healer, author and poet Dr Velaphi Mkhize of the Umsamo Institute. The trip was headed by College of Humanities DVC Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize.
Students were lectured on the topic of healing by Mkhize, and also got a chance to hearing testimonies from his initiates known as amathwasa. The students were given the opportunity to tour his village where Mkhize further showcased some of the tools he uses during his healing and divination, providing in-depth explanations of what the tools are used for and why.
Said Mkhize, ‘It is good to see young people who are in the process of getting educated keen about such activities because in most cases, it does affect them. Here, (pointing to amathwasa), we have educated students who are in the process of initiation. They had to put their careers on hold and immediately surrender to their calling because of their different circumstances.’
In trying to understand healing tools and divination, students interacted with the amathwasa, the helpers and everyone in the Village. Prof Nhlanhla Mkhize stressed the importance of this visit to students as he believes ‘such is closely related to practical work and it should be done every year and it must be used for teaching purposes.’
