Cultural beliefs, folk medicine and the unfathomable mystery of the ‘Axe Killer’ explored in Dhlomo’s isiZulu novel Izwi Nesithunzi (the Voice and the Shadow)

Abstract

This paper analyses Dhlomo’s (1980) isiZulu novel titled, Izwi Nesithunzi, distinguishing three types of traditional healers, constructed around three characters: a genuine herbalist, a fame-fixated herbalist and a witch-cum-herbalist in the characters of Mr Nkatha Zuma, Ncibijane Zuma and Shibasa Mfulamfula, respectively. It argues that the behaviour of individual medicine person is determined by the interwoven and interconnected factors such as beliefs about the Supreme Being, beliefs about the value of human life and character disorders that manifest in an individual’s adult life as a consequence of the effects of societal ills such as child abuses and abandonment. The paper juxtaposes the actions of Ncibijane, a fame-fixated herbalist, with the activities of the real serial killer, dubbed ‘The Axe Killer’, who murdered 15 victims in KwaZulu-Natal before the court sentenced him to death in Pretoria in 1956. The paper highlights research gaps relating to: the ways of differentiating good and bad traditional healers; consequences of early adverse childhood experiences in adult life and possible interventions; and the behaviour and activities informed by a belief on wealth-creating medicine/familiar, and its related effects on societal behaviour. The paper concludes by emphasising the importance of creating a healthy environment in which all children grow into well-adjusted individuals.