KURUMAN, SOUTH AFRICA - 9 October 2008: Credo Mutwa is a Zulu sangoma, Sanusi traditional healer, cultural historian, author, painter, sculptor and mystic prophet. He is photographed in his home in Mothibistad, a township outside Kuruman in the Northern Cape. (Photo by Gallo Images/City Press/Muntu Vilakazi)
Well-known traditional healer Credo Mutwa has passed away at the age of 98, the SABC reports.
The Credo Mutwa foundation has confirmed the passing of the renowned traditional healer.
In a statement, the foundation said Mutwa passed on in the early hours of Wednesday morning at Kuruman Hospital “where he was rushed to yesterday”.
The foundation said Mutwa’s health had been fragile and he had been in and out of the hospital in the past couple of days.
The foundation requested the nation to mourn with Mutwa’s family “and during this time we humbly request that the family be given the space to mourn”.
Political parties the governing African National Congress (ANC), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM) have sent condolences to the family and friends of the traditional healer.
The ANC said Mutwa’s “contribution to our country and continent remains immeasurable”.
“He devoted most of his energy towards preserving African culture and challenging the tendency to relegate African cultural practices and beliefs to myths and superstitions.
“The once vibrant storyteller and traditional healer is respected for his role in advocating for the use of traditional medicines and discovering the origins of mankind. During his active years as a shaman, Mutwa travelled across the country in search of hidden truths.
“This great South African will be remembered for his predictions of key world events, including the assassination of Chris Hani, the 1976 June 16 uprisings, and other key political developments in the country.
“An African intellectual of note, he was the author of several books. Baba Mutwa’s knowledge and intelligence is unparalleled. One of his books Indaba, My Children, was both a commercial and critical success after selling over 250,000 copies in South Africa alone. In addition, Credo Mutwa also pursued his talents as a painter and sculptor.
“The people of our country will treasure his memory as one of our most distinguished sons who consciously chose to place his spiritual gifts at the disposal of his nation,” the ANC said in a statement.
In early 2020, Mutwa trended on social media after an old video resurfaced of his prediction of a conflict between Iran and the USA. Mutwa predicted that the missile attack in Iraq would only be the beginning of a war that would be “bloodier” than during Saddam Hussein’s time.
The traditional healer trended on social media late last year after another video of his resurfaced in which he claimed that Helen Zille’s article got him and his family attacked in the 70s.
The traditional healer also allegedly foretold of the fall of former president Thabo Mbeki and the 9/11 attacks in the US.
READ MORE: Zille says she ‘did absolutely nothing’ to Credo Mutwa
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