image |
caption |
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typical
outskirts of a Botswana urban residential area:
uncultivated land covered with dry shrubs and grasses in
which plastic shopping bags and other consumer debris has
become entangled |
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one
in a row of houses in an upgraded informal residential
area in Francistown, Botswana, the plot on which the sangoma
(diviner-priest) lodge is situated stands out (middle of
picture) by large cacti which are otherwise rare in this
urban environment |
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a
moment of leisure on the urban residential plot of a
major sangoma:
a non-sangoma
young tenant sips his traditional-style manufactured beer |
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herself
already an accomplished sangoma
in her own right, the sixteen-year-old granddaughter of
the lodge leader brings out the drums to warm their
membranes in the sun |
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a
sangoma lodge
leader posing in ceremonial dress on her residential plot
in an upgraded informal residental area, Francistown,
Botswana |
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ceremonially
dressed for the occasion of having this picture taken,
the head of the sangoma
lodge demonstrates how she would cast the divining bones
for another senior member of her lodge, her
granddaughter, while another sixteen -year old sangoma
grand-daughter watches standing |
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the
younger sister expresses genuine surprise at the
particular fall of the divination tablets during what was
only meant to be a demonstration |
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the
interior of a well-appointed vending stall in the
shopping centre of Francistown, Botswana: virtually the
only place where sangoma
beads can be purchased locally |
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in
the newly established village of Mashelegabedi, on the
Botswana/Zimbabwe border at 25 km distance from
Francistown: at his lodge leader's rural homestead, a twaza
(trainee sangoma)
threads a new bead necklace following directions from his
cult leader |
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a
sangoma lodge
leader's maternal shrine at the eastern outskirts of her
rural homestead |
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a
sangoma lodge
leader's paternal shrine at the western outskirts of her
rural homestead |
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a
Francistown residential plot on which, inconspicusously,
a diviner-herbalist has her practice |
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situated
along a major through-road in Francistown, this house is
occupied by a senior member of the Nata branch of the
Mwali cult, practising as a diviner-herbalist |
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the
interior of the treatment room of Mr Smarts Gumede, one
of Francistown's major diviner-herbalists until his death
in 1992 |
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Mr
Smarts Gumede demonstrates how he would cast the bones
inside his treatment room |