Unpacking the Letoya Makhene incident: The rights and responsibilities of initiates

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Letoya Makhene, the former Generations actress turned sangoma, finds herself embroiled in controversy as allegations about her spiritual practices and personal life dominate headlines.
Recently she was featured on the Moja Love show Fake Gobela, where one of her former initiates accused her of being a fraudulent traditional healer, adding to the public dispute between Makhene and her soon-to-be ex-wife Lebo Keswa.
The initiate claims his initiation journey under Makhene was abruptly cut short due to alleged abuse by Keswa, leading him to leave Makhene’s home. He accused Makhene of owing him money, arguing he did not receive the training he paid for.
While the personal dispute between Makhene and Keswa continues to unravel publicly, both parties have alleged abuse against each other in various interviews. However, the controversy surrounding Makhene’s practices as a gobela — particularly the accusations made by the initiate — has sparked wider debate in the traditional healing community.
In this episode, host Gogo Zipho is joined by Mkhulu Manzolwandle as we explore key issues in the traditional healing community, such as the rights and responsibilities of gobelas and their initiates and how grievances should be addressed.
Respected as an elder in the traditional healing community, Mkhulu Manzolwandle assists us in discussing various topics, including whether initiates are entitled to refunds if they are dissatisfied with their training, how to bring up grievances with a gobela and the ethics of transferring initiates to another mpande (initiation school).
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