In the African Bush, people go into Nature to talk to the ancestors, to sing with them, and often transcend their own thoughts, senses and perceptions into a state of awareness and enlightenment.
This is one message from Esther Netshivhongweni in this week’s episode of Executives in the Wild. Esther talks about her traditions within the Makuya-Tshetshe and Thengwe-Fundudzi tribes and their relationship with Nature in the Bush. A South African woman, Esther was born in Venda, Limpopo. She has over 16 years of experience at executive and board level in government, IT, health, mining industries from officer to the level of the Chief Executive Officer. She is pursuing her Ph.D at the University of Nottingham and she has more than 30 years of experience in matters concerning indigenous peoples, local communities and nature conservation. Her positions and accolades are numerous, but she makes it a priority to take time in nature, to listen to the ancestors and pass that knowledge on to others, and not just for them to partake in nature, but also so they do not disappear if they do not show respect to Lake Fundudzi in Limpopo's northernmost region. This Lake Fundudzi is believed to be safeguarded and sacred to the Vhatatsindi, the People of the Pool.
Esther explains that these ancestral traditions and connections to Nature are sacred and risky if disrespected.
“You cannot just go there. There are certain rules, traditional rules that you need to comply with. And, some of them, because they don't want to listen, or they don't want to believe in what we're telling them, end up disappearing and we will never find their bodies again.”
Esther recalls as a child being told that the Department of Water was going to make the lake a spot for tourism. “But every time, when they do that, the following morning, when they go back, they realize that all the fences and all the structures that they were trying to put together, have collapsed during the night.
Esther talks about her connection to her home environment and ancestors there, and its influence on her as a global leader in nature. She draws from her learning and knowledge of tribes from Latin America, The Amazon, Kenya, and Namibia, who also have their own cultural beliefs, their way of connecting to their ancestors, and their way of respecting nature to give her a better understanding of the world.
Her own spiritual connection to Nature is complex, she explains.
“For example, there's a person who's going to be involved in an accident, or the person who's going to to die, and this person is very close to our royal blood. It may happen that the ancestors will send an animal, and in most cases, in our situation, they will send an elephant. It may come through a dream, it may come alive. And sometimes, when you say there was an elephant at this time, did you see it? And some of them will say, No, we did not see it, but you saw it. And when you start explaining to the elders, this is what I saw, and this is how it happened, they'll be able to tell you that possibly this a recognizable figure who may be passing on and it won't even take five days before the person has passed on.”
But the water in the Bush is not just a connection, it is a prophecy. A person goes there for a reason, and that is to receive a message from the ancestors about blessings and “about the things that may happen to you.”
Esther shares her own story, leaving an executive path and going into Nature for a year to ask what she should do with her life and give her the messages she needed to make a decision.
“That is why I am today connecting with nature, and still assisting the world to try to understand the value of Nature.”
Join Executives in the Wild Hosts Diane Denke and Jessica Smith to hear an enlightening story from a brilliant woman who has a compelling story to tell, who has seen the opportunity she has to translate her experiences into knowledge and teachings for others in the industrial world where her career originated to make important contributions and actions for a Nature positive world.
More on Esther Netshivhongweni
With an impressive academic and professional background, Esther has served on advisory panels for the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and international biodiversity initiatives. Her journey from corporate executive to a nature-driven advocate reflects her deep love for the environment and a commitment to creating sustainable connections with the earth. Join us as Esther shares her passion for nature and her insights on sustainability and ancestral wisdom. Her vision for a harmonious future between humanity and nature is truly an inspiration.
