Gogo Dineo grateful to be part of Ancestors' Day celebration

The second annual Ancestors' Day celebration is just around the corner and sangoma and African spiritual teacher Gogo Dineo is honoured to be a part of it.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE at a panel discussion hosted by Castle Milk Stout held at The Venue in Sandton on Monday, Gogo Dineo explained why she got involved with the brand on this journey.

“The first part of the campaign was basically helping people rediscover their identities, clan names, and I really got involved because I understood that they were not just trying to do a campaign to attract consumers but they were genuinely looking for authentic brand ambassadors for this.

“We did the vlog where we were teaching about the importance of ithakzelo. It's about savouring your ritual, your culture. Early this year I continued with the campaign and they said they wanted me on Ancestors' Day.”

She said being a part of rewriting the history and the narrative around African spirituality was something she was proud of.

“Spirituality is not just about healing. People assume it's about aboGogo, but it's about the political system, it's about health and economic system and the social — so how we relate socially. So just being invested in re-writing that history is remarkable.”

Part of the panel discussion was how people embrace spirituality, the narrative that there is a sudden influx of people/traditional healers, and the sacred versus secrecy.

“We have been going through an awakening — we call it the birthing of a new earth — and it has been happening since Thabo Mbeki's era. Now it seems prevalent because there is social media. So it's not starting now, we are seeing it now because of social media.

“This shift has been happening for a very long time, but what is going on is that the generation of this time are the ones that are on the forefront. They are seekers of knowledge, seekers of understanding, because they have come on this earth to shift us to the new earth.

“But can we also say in our attempt to wanting it to be out there, what are we putting out there that might jeopardise that? When we are teaching and when we are talking, can we still respect the values and the principles?”

Secretary-general of Contralesa Zolani Mkiva, BBM winner and sangoma Mpho Wa Babadimo, Zulu translator and historian Prince Zoza Shongwe, Nkosi George Mzimvubu Matanzima, prophet Katlego Mogase and Bishop Joshua Maponga were all in attendance at the launch.

Khensani Mkhombo, Castle Milk Stout brand manager, said this year's Ancestors' Day would be slightly different.

“Last year we started a petition to call on South Africans to help us, and officially submitted a petition to government for Ancestors' Day to be recognised in the national calendar.

“This year we are doing something similar, we are asking South Africans to write to us and tell us what their ancestors mean to them. What we plan to do with all of those letters is bind them together in one letter and submit it to the ministry to say: 'This is important. This is the day we all require as South Africans'.”

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