Baba Credo Mutwa is a High Sanusi, of the Zulu Nation a revered traditional African shaman or healer of an ancient African lineage of healers and a person of great knowledge. He is a medicine initiate of several Sub-Saharan tribes with whom he has studied and a fearless spokesperson against oppression of any kind.
A dedicated creative activist for the human condition, for women, children and the environment and a keeper of ancient sacred knowledge of Africa, Credo Mutwa is widely consulted by African traditional healers, scientific researchers and international experts in many fields. He has earned the respect and friendship of world leaders and many of the greatest minds of the world.
His extraordinary spirit and the universal nature of his knowledge, experience and insight provide us with essential teachings of great relevance. Credo also constantly creates monumental works of art, powerful, historically relevant paintings and literary works while creating dignified employment for his people. Mention Credo’s involvement and ongoing activities surrounding medicine villages he build. He works with traditional healers and medicines to treat diseases and courageously confronts the extreme social challenges faced by the people of Africa.
One is humbled and inspired by his creativity, productivity, passion and dedication, the expanse of his mind and phenomenal memory, his humour, his powers of observation and his array of skills and talents, most exciting of which, for me, as a filmmaker and student of human nature, are his glorious abilities to teach and uplift through storytelling and communicate in all cultures at all levels.
His wish and mine, to create some accessible communications for students and public media, have kept me at work on this project for many years now. While persecution, limited financial resources and the many attempts to silence this great man have slowed down this work, my sense of the significance for humanity, of Africa’s insights and knowledge, distilled over millennia, has inspired and compelled me to continue to contribute to the preservation and transmission of Credo Mutwa’s knowledge.
My sixteen year long relationship with Baba Mutwa is one of deepest respect and began when I realized that this man who is internationally regarded as a living treasure was being physically attacked and silenced. His character was constantly assassinated and he was censored by media. I felt that Africa’s consciousness was becoming endangered and I had many deep discussions with Credo on this subject.
The serious issues of our time, crime, poverty, abuse, violence, environmental destruction and inhumanity are all issues of consciousness and the African Wisdom Keepers offer knowledge of great value to assist us all. Communicators have the power and responsibility to enhance knowledge and well-informed choice is the essence of the freedom required to solve all forms oppression.
Contemporary systems of information storage and transmission are dangerously temporary and easily lost or destroyed. Fragile externalisations of the collective knowledge of humanity, which won’t necessarily endure and cannot be accessed without elaborate artificial infrastructure.
Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems do not depend on such transient methods. This continent and her people of knowledge are the vast living library. Connecting to this living library involves an immersion in the nature and mind of Africa and internalization, integration and sharing of experience through many different languages of nature, the most accessible of which to minds worldwide is ritual, music, art and storytelling.
I was especially privileged to hear many fireside stories told by Credo Mutwa, of ancient history, the origins of humanity and the nature and history of Africa and her people.
Traditional knowledge holders and their intellectual property are often disrespected and so I need to emphasize that our agreements regarding my documentary films are ethical and properly legal and that Credo Mutwa benefits directly from each DVD and film sold.
I thank you for your kind interest, attention and support.
Ingrid Penderis,
Researcher and Documentary Film Maker,
