A YOUNG 12-YEAR-OLD SWAZI BOY MAHLASELA MAGAGULA BECAME A WITCH DOCTOR, 1999-03-02 (photo)

A young 12-year-old Swazi boy, Mahlasela Magagula, who became a witch doctor at the age of eight, is longing for his childhood and wants to go back to school. But he fears that the "spirits and ancestors" which bound him to become a traditional healer could turn against him if he deserts his calling. Mahlasela, born of a South African mother and a Swazi father, currently plies his trade at his clinic in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. His job entails gathering herbs and producing traditional medicinal concoctions. Traditional healing in Southern Africa is still big business with many local people still reluctant to trust Western medicine, some see as unaffordable. Witch doctors claim they can provide one with medicines ranging from one of good luck to one of hiding your mistress from your wife. photo taken 28FEB99 jn/Photo by Juda Ngwenya. JN/