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Illiterate preacher delivers 200 babies

14/05/2012 00:00:00 SENZO DLAMINI

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DVOKOLWAKO – A 61-year old preacher with no medical credentials currently performs midwifery duties.

Mafikizolo Shadrack Dlamini, in an interview on Thursday, confirmed that he was helping women in his home area to deliver babies.

Dlamini, whose other name is Makhayinda, said he has never seen the inside of a classroom.

He strongly believes that the Almighty God has blessed him with a special gift – that of helping women give birth.

He is a staunch member of the Mathedonika Church in Zion situated a stone’s throw away from his home which is littered with modern houses.

Dlamini said: "I’ve helped close to 200 women (sebayefika emakhulwini lamabili) to deliver babies both here at home and at their respective homesteads."

He further stated: "I’ve been doing this for over two decades now."

The down to earth preacher, who is a cotton farmer, stressed that no one taught him how to help the female folk to deliver babies.

To help speed up the labour process, he prepares a concoction (inhlaphu yelihhashi) for the heavily pregnant women to gulp down.

Dlamini, who hails from Bhodlwako under Dvokolwako Royal Kraal, said health motivators (bagcugcuteli) were fully aware that he was performing midwifery functions in the area.

"The health motivators help provide me with gloves to use when helping women give birth," he stated.

The God-fearing man said: "I give it all my best, hence there are no cases of mortality."

He pledged to continue with what he termed as a calling from the Lord – helping women to give birth without going to health facilities like hospitals and clinics.

The preacher said, upon helping a woman to deliver her baby, he immediately advises her to visit a hospital or clinic for a medical check-up. He said it was fundamental to balance the two – giving birth at home and hospital.

... and he charges up to E1 000 per birth

DVOKOLWAKO - The illiterate ‘home made midwife’ charges up to E1 000 per birth.

Preacher Mafikizolo Dlamini confirmed his fees in an interview last week.

Dlamini said some husbands of the women he had helped to give birth at home offer him cows and goats.

"I don’t pick and choose, but I accept any form of payment including goats and cows," he said.

"God has given me the powers to perform such ‘miracles’ on the women, hence I’m comfortable with any form of payment in the event the ‘patient’ does not have the required E1 000," he said.

He explained that he only accepted goats from women whose families were impoverished, yet they were in dire need of his help.

Dlamini, who has 14 children from three wives, said, at first, he offered his services free of charge.

However, he said he was left with no option, but to demand payment upon realising that women were flocking to his home for help.

‘I’ve even lost my sex drive’

DVOKOLWAKO – "I’ve lost my sex drive."

This is a confession by the man who helps women give birth at home without the assistance of a professional nurse or medical practitioner.

In an interview on Thursday, Preacher Mafikizolo Dlamini of the Mathedonika Church in Zion said: "Kuyangiphakula lentfo yekubelekisa (My sex drive is diminishing by the day)."

Dlamini feared for the worst and said impotence was slowly ‘creeping in’.

He said it was now common for him to go for a month without being intimate with his wives.

He blamed his low libido on performing the midwifery duties on a regular basis.

"At times, I would have a problem using my hands to eat," he stated. "My wives normally alternate to feed me as I’ve a serious problem touching the food with my own hands."

‘Chief told me to get training’

DVOKOLWAKO – The late Chief Malamulela Magagula of Dvokolwako Royal Kraal once encouraged Mafikizolo Dlamini to acquire medical training.

Dlamini is the man who helps women deliver babies while at home.

This was said by Dlamini in an interview last week.

"The chief told me to go for training and acquire more knowledge on helping women to give birth," he said.

"I was thrilled by such words of encouragement from the leader of the community."

However, Dlamini said the main hindrance to going for formal training on midwifery was his illiteracy.

He proudly said he also helped the chief’s wives deliver their babies.

There’s no danger - Ezeogou

MBABANE – Dr Austen Ezeogou, a Gynaecologist at the Mbabane Government Hospital, said there was no danger in giving birth at home.

In an interview on Friday, Ezeogou said it is only when there are serious complications that a woman needs to go to hospital.

"Yes, it is practically possible to give birth at home without any professional assistance," he stated. "At times, you find that some women do deliver babies by themselves without any help."

He said it was for this reason that an unskilled person could help a woman give birth without a problem.