Kwanele and her monied, furry ‘friends’
Cash not safe with rats and tsotsis
I have quite an active imagination, and I still could not picture “imagundane emali”.
The whole concept that have rats as money transporters is bizarre!
We are talking about money here – cash that is being moved from one place to another, with no armed guards or bullet proof vehicles.
I don’t know, maybe such rats really do exist and are proof of our superiority over animals and genius in our ability to manipulate every living thing for profit.
Just like how prehistoric hunters would not have believed that a circus can tame a lion and make it dance!
If you have never heard of amagundane emali, let me save you. This is a phenomenon in modern day muthi practices where it is alleged that if someone has acquired a certain power, they can use dark forces to summon and control rats who tirelessly collect hard cash for their master’s benefit.
There would be a rigorous process of preparing one for such command, involving the drinking of some potions and keeping an altar of muthi and other gimmicks.
From what I have learned over the years, it is a continuous process of endless sacrifices in exchange for a constant supply of money that is physically brought by rats.
Now, when I first heard about these money-trucking rodents, I had to step back and question everything I know about rats. I grew up in the East Rand and rats were a significant feature back then, so much that some children would show up to class with bitten exercise books. Even back in KZN, the furry buggers there were no different. I remember in one instance, they chewed away at a generous portion of my friend’s grandmother’s pension money that had been rolled neatly and hidden away in a handkerchief.
There was no cheese in our fridges growing up, except during the festive periods and if rodents wanted something tasty, they would bite someone’s toes! I know these days there may be a wider variety of food choices for rodents in our communities, but paper remains a staple for them.
Now back to these special money rats, are they the equivalent of a human vegan? I cannot imagine why a rodent would work day and night, crawling through distances and villages, with hard cash on their back with not a single thought of biting Mandela’s head off it! I would understand if these were ants and it was said to be seasonal or something. Rats?
Okay, say they are hard workers and whatever it is that is kept in the calabashes of their commanding master totally blinds their faith and all they know is the cash delivery. Even if I were to believe that, I still cannot understand how in the streets of Soweto have they never ever ran into anyone of us along the way? In our townships that are populated with criminal elements who rob our mothers in broad daylight? Think about it. Any wise guy with an okapi sees a rat with fresh bank notes on its hairy back, it is game over.