Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa – sangoma, African sage, fraud or a New Age shaman?

Abstract

Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa is a South African sangoma, a writer and artist, and a controversial ‘expert’ on UFO-related conspiracy theories. He considers himself an expert on South African, especially Zulu, cultures and religions. He is rejected by academics and often considered a self-imposed ‘expert’ and a fake whose version of Zulu religious beliefs has ventured so far from Zulu religion that they are hardly recognisable. Mutwa himself claims to be misunderstood and falsely judged. He calls himself a shaman, a ‘Chosen One’, a guardian of secret knowledge and an expert on esoteric African wisdom. In the article I present V.C. Mutwa’s artistic accomplishments, his version of Zulu mythology and sangomas’ work, and I compare his versions to known facts about Zulu culture. I also analyse Mutwa’s popularity within New Age circles and try to assess the veracity of Mutwa’s claims and place him within New Age rhetoric.

Keywords

• Credo Mutwa
• sangoma
• shamanism
• Zulu
• New Age