Sundaymail Editor
Bruce Ndlovu and Blessed Moyo
Society Reporters
LUNGILE “Cyclone Ree” Mathe has undergone numerous transformations throughout her life.
When she was first introduced to the public in 2011, she was vying for the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe crown, ultimately earning the title of Miss Personality.
Insiders in the beauty pageant world might argue that it was during this competition that Lungile Mathe “died”, and Cyclone Ree — a whirlwind figure whose every controversial action seemed to shake the modelling industry — was born.
Following several dramatic incidents that led to her dethronement from the pageant, Cyclone Ree relocated to China, where she enrolled in a professional modelling school.
While there, she underwent another transformation, transitioning into a disk jockey (DJ).
Known as DJ Zero, she specialised in electronic dance music, becoming one of the few black female DJs in that vast country.
In 2018, she announced her departure from the trade and ventured into business, opening a beauty bar specialising primarily in hair supply.
She later returned to Zimbabwe at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
After a few years away from the public eye, the model has announced what is perhaps her most dramatic transformation yet.
Following years of personal strife and struggle, including controversial relationships and faltering businesses, Mathe is now a sangoma, a profession far removed from her previous life as one of the country’s top models.
“What people do not know about me is that when I was younger, I always had a prophetic gift,” she told The Sunday Mail Entertainment in an interview.
“I was prophesying to people at Prophet Ngwenya’s Faith in Christ when I was a teenager. I did not understand where this gift came from, but as I grew older, I walked away from that life because I was living differently. I could not live the life of a ‘slay queen’ while doing all of that.”
Cyclone Ree said she had ignored her calling for a long time.
She attributed a series of unfortunate events in her life, including sickness and ill-fated business ventures, to her failure to heed the call of her ancestors.
Throughout this period, she was also plagued by incomprehensible dreams.
“The journey to become a sangoma is not easy. I turned back a few times during this process. Then, one day, I had a dream in which I saw a boulder and a body of water. I told my father about it and he and my uncle took me to Njelele, where I saw the same boulder and water. That is when my journey truly began,” she recounted.
After a period in Njelele, Cyclone Ree said she reverted to her old ways when she was instructed to attend an initiation school focused on the water spirit possessing her.
“At that particular initiation school, conditions were harsh. I found no peace. We would wake up at 2am to begin our daily duties, which were arduous, and I decided I could no longer endure it, so I fled,” she said.
Following another detour, the model said life became difficult again, with signs suggesting her hardships stemmed from abandoning her training.
Eventually, her calling became too compelling to ignore.
She underwent training and initiation in 2020, graduating as a sangoma in 2021.
“My uncle, also a sangoma, initiated me and the initiation process lasted about seven months,” she explained.
Once she accepted her true identity, adapting to her new life was not challenging, she said.
“People might find it strange, but many have accepted who I am now. Some ask, ‘How can you be a gogo (sangoma) when you are so attractive?’ I do not mind.
“When it is time for me to channel the ancestors, I am no longer Cyclone Ree but a vessel for the spirits,” she said.
Despite her initiation, she clarified that she has not completely abandoned modelling.
“The blessings I received while on the runway came from the ancestors. These were royal blessings, which is why I became a beauty queen.
“It was never about me but about the blessings bestowed upon me by the ancestors. I believe that should I return to the ramp, the ancestors would grant me the same blessings again,” she said.
Although she has found a new path in life, she confesses to having regrets about her past. A romantic relationship with a married man, resulting in the birth of her daughter in 2022, is among the things she wishes she could undo.
The former beauty queen admits to struggling with motherhood and financial instability, leading her to gamble and pursue unsuccessful business ventures.
Cyclone Ree regrets her reckless spending during her time as one of the country’s top models. She revealed that in her prime, she would spend up to a month in hotels with friends, covering all monthly expenses. “If only someone had spoken sense to me or mentored me during that time, I could have bought a house or started a business that would still exist today,” she ruefully remarked.
Despite regretting her past reckless spending, she is determined to rebuild her life, embracing a healthier lifestyle as she considers returning to modelling.
She believes she can balance life on the ramp with her spiritual calling.
“I jog almost four kilometres every day to keep my body in shape as I plan to return to modelling,” she said.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter