A woman diplays her magnificent cabbage in Ntambamhlophe. Photocredit: Nicole Jones

Fear has gripped the village of Shayamoya in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province after the discovery of a decapitated body. The family of Zanele Hlatshwayo, 25, who has been missing since July, believe she was a victim of a cannibalism ring that has so far led to the arrest of five men. Ms Hlatshwayo’s bloodied and torn clothes were found among the human remains in the traditional healer’s home. The traditional healer lived in a rented hut in Rensburgdrift near Estcourt. He is nicknamed “Mkhonyovu” which loosely translated means “the corrupt one or corruption” in the local Zulu language. BBC World News

South Africa can be a confusing place for visitors. Were you to come to Durban for a vacation, you would probably go home after thinking South Africa is progressive, western and wealthy. And in some ways and places, it is.

Magnificent beaches and the glistening Indian Ocean give off pristine views. There are many exceptional malls with a variety of the most modern shopping chains and services. South Africa boasts 5 Star hotels and some of the most unique and gourmet restaurants in the world. There are large cities, good roads, world class sports teams and massive stadiums to house them. Electricity and water now reaches into many rural areas. South Africa is an incredibly beautiful country.

But first impressions can be misleading and they often don’t reflect everyday life for the majority of people and the traditional worldviews that still govern some communities and relationships. The ‘behind the scenes’ South Africa is very different. Education standards are low for rural children and youth. Poverty and suffering is prevalent while food security is a crisis in many areas. Witchcraft, ancestor worship, and dark ceremonies of consulting with the spirit world are as common here as anywhere else in Africa. Corrupt traditional diviners take advantage of people and their trust. The resulting fear, jealousy, poverty, despair and death are pervasive.

We were recently asked by a friend to come and do a 3-day vegetable training close to Escourt, in a place called Ntambamhlophe, which translates, ‘White Mountain.’

Before you dash http://seanamic.com/new-addition-for-asset-integrity/ female levitra, let me just shed some light on what it exactly is. The size of the device is online prescription viagra without more important than the thought. A decade later, viagra discount india the Crossley Xervac used vacuum suction to stimulate hair growth — you could rent timeshare to interested events. The most curious question generic tadalafil cheap that may arise in the first place.

Our South African friend Erlo has been tirelessly working to encourage the people of that valley to grow their own food in the highly fertile soils that abound. Some Farming God’s Way initiatives were already underway in the area. He has also founded and leads a church that meets at his Farming God’s Way centre there.

Ntambamhlophe is a beautiful place with rolling hills and little homesteads dotted across the horizon. Nicole Jones and Dan had a wonderful time training there. The main focus of the training was to supplement the participant’s existing knowledge with more advanced vegetable and field scale vegetable training. The people were eager to learn and their enthusiasm was contagious.

There was an atmosphere of hope and resilience in the participants of the training. Farming God’s Way was giving them new ways to take leadership in their lives and in the lives of their community.Their efforts in the community vegetable garden were a marvellous demonstration to others of the abundance available through land stewardship. Dan and Nicole also thoroughly enjoyed spending three days and nights with Erlo – a man of simple yet profound faith, and seemingly never-ending joy.

But there was a sobering part to the trip as well. That valley is profoundly weighed down with witchcraft and ancestor worship. On one of the nights we were there, drums were being beaten all night right next door in a traditional ceremony of ancestor veneration and communication. Recently, the national police service uncovered a human sacrifice and cannibalism ring nearby. We’ve also read of graves being dug up in rural Zululand, so that human bones can be ground to be used in magical potions – muthi, in isiZulu.

Jealousy, poverty and especially fear are the fruit of these so-called traditional practices. Local farmers will never be successful if we don’t introduce strategies to overcome their superstitions and become courageous men and women. Farming God’s Way gets to the heart of the matter and we see people begin to step out into a new confidence and freedom to become all they can be. Pray for the people of Ntambamhlophe and this valley filled with hope, that a new era of freedom and restoration would come through the efforts of these faithful farmers who are truly breaking ground for the Kingdom.